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*  JESUS 

FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

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GEORGE  HOLLEY  GILBERT 


IUN  18  1918 


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JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 
WHEN    SCIENCE    AIDS    RELIGION 

GEORGE        HOLLEY        GILBERT 


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•UN  18  191ft 
FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 


JESUS 


WHEN    SCIENCE   AIDS    RELIGION 


BY 
GEORGE  HOLLEY  GILBERT 

Ph.D.  Leipzig,  D.D.,  Dartmouth 

AUTHOR  OF  "STUDENT'S  LITE  OF  JESUS,"  "STUDENT'S  LIFE  OF  PAUL," 

"INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  BIBLE,"  "CHRISTIANITY  IN 

THE  APOSTOLIC  AGE,"  "jESUS,"  ETC. 


HODDER  &  STOUGHTON 

NEW  YORK 

GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  191 7, 
BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


TO  THE  READER  OF  THIS  BOOK 

For  the  quiet  fireside  where  the  spirit 
moves  out  most  easily  to  new  points  of 
vision  and  where  it  catches  far  voices  of 
the  past  and  the  future,  this  book  is  writ- 
ten, not  for  the  desk  of  the  student  who 
seeks  the  doctrines  that  have  grown  so  lux- 
uriantly around  the  person  and  the  work 
of  Jesus,  or  even  the  detailed  results  of 
modern  biblical  investigation.  It  is  written 
for  the  modern  man  who  is  hospitable 
to  all  truth,  whether  old  or  new,  and  who 
is  less  afraid  of  change  than  of  cherishing 

"an  ancient  form 
Through  which  the  spirit  breathes  no  more." 

It  is  written  moreover  with  the  confident 
conviction  that,  while  some  things  in  the 
Gospel  story  which  we  once  prized  cannot 
bear  the  revealing  light  that  has  fallen  upon 
them  with  increasing  intensity  during  the 
past  hundred  years,  nothing  that  mars  the 
character  of  Jesus  or  lessens  his  power  to 


VI  TO  THE  READER  OF  THIS  BOOK 

lead  mankind  to  God  has  yet  come  forth 
out  of  the  melting  pot  of  scientific  histori- 
cal analysis. 

This  book  would  mediate  between  a  dim 
and  alien  past  and  the  living  present,  be- 
tween a  past  that  was  religious  but  unscien- 
tific and  a  present  that  exalts  science  to  the 
seat  of  religion,  between  a  past  that  con- 
tained a  Treasure  capable  of  enriching  all 
future  ages  and  a  present  which  needs  that 
Treasure  none  the  less  because  of  its  supe- 
rior knowledge. 

This  book  would  be — if  not  a  cup  of  in- 
spiration— at  least  a  reverent  lifter  of  the 
veil  from  One  whose  unfathomable  con- 
fidence both  in  God  and  in  us  is  a  steadily 
flowing  fountain  of  the  purest  and  deepest 
cheer.  If  the  book  fails  of  this,  its  end,  the 
author  prays  the  reader  to  forget  it,  but — 
to  continue  the  great  Quest  after  the  springs 
of  Jesus,  for  of  a  truth  this  Quest  is  for 
every  man. 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  LONG  HOPE  OF  ISRAEL 

Tracing  his  way  along  the  stream  of 
Christian  life  back  to  its  humble  source  in 
Galilee,  observing  what  that  stream  has 
wrought  across  the  wide  expanse  of  years, 
the  traveller  comes  at  length  to  that  far- 
distant  spring  with  a  mingled  sense  of  awe 
and  mystery.  This  stream  of  life,  still  ris- 
ing slowly  as  it  flows,  has  touched  with 
hope  a  third  of  all  the  millions  of  mankind, 
and  makes  to  grow  along  its  banks  the  fair- 
est things,  the  things  of  greatest  promise, 
that  we  see  in  all  the  earth.  Go  back  along 
its  winding  course  through  other  centuries. 
How  has  it  wrought  on  right  and  left,  in 
single  souls,  in  states,  and  kingdoms?  It 
made  the  men  who  planted  what  we  prize 
in  this  new  world;  it  brought  the  spring- 
time in  the  days  of  Luther;  it  gave  ideals 
of  purity  and  right  and  strength  to  knight- 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

hood;  and  further  back,  through  the  rude 
landscape  of  the  Middle  Age,  it  kept  a  little 
candle  burning  in  the  cloister  of  the  monk, 
it  made  sweet  records  of  self-sacrifice,  and 
gave  to  many  struggling  spirits  songs  in  the 
night.  Still  journeying  further  backward 
by  this  stream  of  Christian  life  that  runs 
from  soul  to  soul,  and  moulds  the  manners 
and  the  thoughts  of  men,  we  see  great  em- 
perors and  heathen  gods  go  down  before 
the  unarmed  witnesses  of  Christ;  we  pass 
through  fields  made  sacred  by  the  blood  of 
martyrs,  and  meet  at  last,  far  back,  the 
hurrying  messengers  whose  eyes  had  seen 
the  very  Master  and  whose  ears  had  heard 
the  Gospel  from  his  lips.  What  zeal  is 
theirs,  what  power  breathes  upon  us  in  their 
words,  what  visions  must  their  souls  have 
seen  and  felt  to  lift  them  from  their  lowly 
lot  and  make  them  glorious  through  all 
coming  time! 

Another  stream  there  was,  less  wide  and 
clear,  that  rose  far  off  in  some  inspired  soul 
and  flowed  through  many  generations  till 
it  found  its  rest  just  where  the  stream  of 
Christian  life  arose.     It  was  the  hope  of 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

One  whose  rule  would  bring  what  neither 
king  nor  prophet  yet  had  brought  to  Israel, 
a  hope  that  varied  with  the  varying  times, 
now  earthly  grand,  now  mystical  and  high, 
now  narrow  as  the  land  in  which  it  rose, 
again  majestic  in  its  sweep,  including  every 
tongue  and  tribe. 

Beside  this  stream  of  hope,  back  in  the 
twilight  of  the  ancient  world,  we  take  our 
stand,  and  listen  for  a  moment  to  the  words 
in  which  it  found  expression  from  the  in- 
most heart  of  one  who  from  his  youth  had 
longed  to  greet  the  promised  day  in  the 
form  foreseen  by  Israel's  greater  prophets. 

Terah,  ruler  of  a  little  synagogue  in  cen- 
tral Galilee,  in  the  village  of  Gath  Hepher, 
just  east  of  Sepphoris,  in  the  last  years  of 
Herod  called  the  Great,  said,  while  resting 
from  his  morning  labour  by  a  fig  tree  in  his 
vineyard,  "O  that  the  Holy  One — blessed 
be  his  name!  would  rend  these  silent 
heavens  and  send  at  last  to  us,  his  people, 
the  Deliverer,  even  King  Messiah! 

"We  have  waited  long,  and  the  waves  of 
evil  and  sorrow  have  gone  over  us,  like  the 


INTRODUCTION 


waves  of  the  great  sea  in  number.  Nations 
that  fear  not  Jehovah  have  despised  us; 
they  have  profaned  our  holy  things,  and 
filled  our  cup  with  bitterness. 

"As  a  flock  torn  and  scattered  by  jackals 
or  by  lions  from  the  thickets  of  Jordan,  so 
has  Israel  been  torn  and  scattered  well  nigh 
all  the  years  since  the  great  prophets  told 
our  fathers  of  the  coming  Kingdom,  and 
fell  asleep.  We  wept  long  by  the  rivers  of 
Babylon,  far  away  from  our  homes  and  our 
ruined  Temple.  The  Syrians  and  the 
Romans  have  mocked  us,  have  trodden  our 
sacred  books  in  the  dust,  and  have  brought 
us  under  an  iron  yoke.  Worst  of  all,  we 
have  been  peeled  and  broken  by  foes  who 
were  of  our  own  household. 

"Has  God  forgotten  us?  Has  the  Most 
High  cast  us  away  from  being  his  people 
because  of  all  our  sins?  Yet  the  Pharisees 
in  every  town,  with  long  prayers  and  fast- 
ings, with  tithes  and  washings  and  many 
other  rites,  keep  all  the  Law.  They  are 
holy,  and  the  Lord  must  surely  have  regard 
for  them,  and  visit  us  in  mercy  for  their 
sakes.     Righteous,   too,   and  well-pleasing 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

unto  him  are  those  silent  people  in  Sep- 
phoris  and  in  the  desert  places  by  the  river, 
who  always  go  in  white  garments,  who  de- 
spise riches,  and  who  have  all  things  in 
common. 

"But  the  many  in  our  land  are  not  like 
these,  and  the  scribes  say  they  are  accursed. 
May  that  not  be!  We  all  are  children  of 
the  covenant  with  Abraham,  and  the  Lord 
God  is  full  of  loving  kindness.  Yet  are  we 
far  from  right,  from  being  such  a  people 
as  Jehovah  seeks;  and  there  are  other  sins 
than  those  the  scribes  are  quick  to  charge 
us  with. 

"We  keep  the  fasts  indeed,  but  often  are 
the  fatherless  forgot,  and  widows.  Some 
among  us  speak  the  tongues  of  Gentiles,  and 
read  their  books  that  take  away  the  fear  of 
God ;  and  many  seek  for  gain  as  beasts  seek 
after  prey  at  evening.  We  suffer  the  abom- 
inations of  idolatry  in  our  midst.  Our 
priests  in  the  holy  city,  not  excepting  Annas 
himself,  the  high  priest,  break  bread  with 
the  uncircumcised  who  oppress  us,  and  do 
not  hope  for  the  coming  age.  They  lay  up 
gold  in  abundance,  jewels  too  and  costly 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

raiment,  while  the  poor,  their  brothers,  toil 
and  groan  unpitied. 

"O  that  Elijah  would  come,  and  call 
aloud,  standing  upon  the  mountains  of 
Israel,  and  bring  the  great  repentance!  If 
all  the  people  were  contrite  for  one  day,  say 
the  rabbis,  the  glorious  deliverance  of  the 
Messiah  would  surely  appear.  But,  alas! 
the  Gentiles  are  poured  out  upon  us  as  a 
flood,  and  the  noise  of  the  world  fills  our 
ears,  and  there  is  no  prophet  or  open  vision. 

"Our  land  mourns,  but  not  unto  Jehovah. 
It  cries  out  because  the  burden  of  suffering 
and  disappointment  is  too  great  for  it  Our 
young  men  fall  here  among  the  mountains 
of  Galilee,  the  strong-hearted  Zealots  who 
think  to  break  the  Roman  yoke  as  their  fa- 
thers broke  that  of  Syria  in  the  days  when 
God  exalted  the  house  of  Mattathias;  and 
yonder  in  Judea  has  not  Pilate  hanged  our 
brethren  upon  crosses,  and  made  the  courts 
of  the  Temple  red  with  the  blood  of  the 
descendants  of  Jacob?  The  throne  of  Da- 
vid is  desolate,  and  our  people  pay  taxes  to 
a  stranger  on  a  distant  shore  who  knows  not 
the  Lord. 


INTRODUCTION  Xlll 


"My  heart  is  sick,  and  my  eyes  must  soon 
close  without  seeing  the  glory  of  the  last 
days.  But  perhaps  it  is  better  with  those 
who  have  gone  to  Sheol  than  with  us  who 
see  our  land  consumed  by  our  enemies. 
They  sleep  in  peace,  but  they  shall  awake 
and  come  forth  from  the  dust  when  King 
Messiah  destroys  our  foes  on  every  side,  and 
when  He  makes  Zion  higher  than  all  the 
mountains  of  the  earth.  Then  shall  our 
land  be  clean  again,  and  the  light  of  Israel 
be  greater  than  the  glory  of  David  and 
Solomon.  All  nations  shall  gather  them- 
selves under  the  banner  of  our  King,  and 
he  shall  rule  in  the  might  of  God  over  a 
Kingdom  that  shall  never  be  destroyed. 
Then  shall  we  go  up  to  the  feasts  year  by 
year,  singing  as  we  go,  and  none  shall  ever 
make  us  afraid.  We  shall  plough  these 
fields  again  with  joy,  and  gather  our  har- 
vests in  peace.  We  shall  sit  under  our  vines 
and  fig-trees,  and  shall  meditate  on  the  law 
of  the  Lord.  And  all  Israel  shall  keep  the 
law  with  perfect  hearts  in  the  days  of  Mes- 
siah. Would  God  that  those  days  might 
come  speedily!" 


XIV  INTRODUCTION 

And  Terah,  sighing  deeply,  rose  and  took 
up  his  morning  labour  in  the  vineyard. 

The  time  of  Jehovah's  deliverance  was 
indeed  coming  on  apace,  but  the  aged  ruler 
of  the  synagogue  knew  it  not.  No  one  in 
the  circuit  of  the  land  knew,  though  some 
were  longing  for  it  with  a  great  and  pure 
longing.  But  no  sign  appeared.  The  way 
before  them  seemed  as  dark  as  the  long 
way  behind,  and  in  the  bosoms  of  most  of 
the  faithful  few  hope  often  struggled  with 
despair. 

But  even  in  those  very  days,  in  another 
quiet  town  of  Galilee,  only  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant from  Gath  Hepher,  toward  the  Plain, 
there  was  a  man,  now  about  thirty  years  of 
age,  who  walked  perfectly  with  the  Lord 
God.  Like  Terah  in  his  vineyard,  this  man 
was  toiling  for  his  daily  bread  and  for  those 
dependent  on  him;  and  yet,  though  an  ar- 
tisan from  his  youth,  a  worker  in  wood  like 
his  father  before  him,  unknown  to  the  lead- 
ers of  his  people,  he  was  fitted  for  what- 
ever high  commission  Jehovah  had  in  store 
for  King  Messiah.  He  had  heard  the 
Voice,  he  knew  the  way  of  God,  he  had 


INTRODUCTION  XV 

sounded,  as  no  other,  the  need  of  man,  and 
had  beheld,  as  no  other,  man's  potential 
glory.  He  had  absorbed  the  loftiest  truths 
of  the  noblest  prophets,  and  had  looked 
beyond.  He  had  grown  to  a  spiritual  stat- 
ure commensurate  with  his  unique  vision. 
The  best  hope  of  weary  generations  was 
soon  to  be  fulfilled  in  him,  Jesus,  son  of 
Joseph,  a  carpenter  of  Nazareth. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


To  the  Reader  of  this  Book     ....  v 

Introduction — The  Long  Hope  of  Israel  vii 

CHAPTER 

I.  The  Herald 21 

II.  From  the  Carpenter's  Bench   .     .  33 

III.  The  Choice  of  Ways 43 

IV.  First  Notes  of  the  Gospel       .     .  53 
V.  The  Widening  Horizon    ....  63 

VI.  Warning  Voices 73 

VII.  The  Galilean  Crisis 85 

VIII.  The  Kingdom  Established    ...  95 

IX.  The  Darkening  Way 107 

X.  The  Prophet  in  Jerusalem  .     .     .  129 

XI.  The  Thick  Darkness 143 

XII.  The  Triumph  of  Jesus  Over  Death  163 


CHAPTER  ONE 
THE  HERALD 


CHAPTER   ONE 

THE  HERALD 

"TT^LIJAH"  had  already  come  again, 
Hj  according  to  an  ancient  promise, 
but  he  was  hidden  still  from  men  in  the 
wild  regions  of  the  desert  of  Tekoa.  The 
shadows  were  thickening  in  the  deep  val- 
ley below  him,  over  the  Jordan  and  the 
Salt  Sea,  as  he  sat  meditating  in  the  entrance 
of  his  rocky  cave,  a  roll  of  the  prophets 
lying  at  his  side. 

His  home  in  Beth  Zacharias  beyond  the 
highway  from  Jerusalem  to  the  South  Land 
had  not  seen  him  since  his  aged  father 'and 
then  his  mother  had  breathed  their  farewell 
blessing,  and  had  gone  from  earth  strong  in 
the  hope  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  was  near. 
This  hope,  their  only  dower,  they  had 
passed  on  to  the  soul  of  their  boy,  where  its 
flame,  once  kindled,  burned  with  increasing 
might,  consuming  other  hopes  and  all  com- 

21 


22   JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

mon  ambitions.  Their  long  wish  that  he 
might  go  before  the  promised  King,  to 
level  and  make  straight  his  way,  had  grown 
in  him  with  all  his  growth,  and  through  the 
solitary  years  of  thought  and  prayer  and 
fellowship  with  the  mighty  spirits  of 
Israel's  past  had  ripened  in  a  deep  and 
solemn  faith  that  he  was  called  to  be  the 
herald  of  the  coming  age. 

Most  of  his  old  neighbours  in  Beth 
Zacharias  had  forgotten  him.  A  few  still 
wondered  whether  some  great  message 
might  not  yet  come  from  the  strange  youth 
who  had  disappeared  long  since  among  the 
silent  fastnesses  of  the  Tekoan  desert.  An 
occasional  shepherd,  in  the  spring  time, 
when  bits  of  verdure  for  his  flock  were 
found  along  the  wadys,  met  the  recluse  as 
he  sought  his  rude  fare  among  the  rocks, 
or  saw  him  poring  o'er  his  precious  roll  of 
ancient  wisdom  in  the  shade  of  some  stunted 
oak  or  juniper  bush.  And  thus  a  rumour 
of  his  place  and  ways  went  forth  to  all  the 
country  round. 

The  spirit  of  the  solemn  desert  was  near 
of  kin  to  that  of  John;  and  as  he  looked 


THE   HERALD  23 


abroad  from  out  his  rocky  cell  across  the 
wide  familiar  landscape,  its  awful  hush  was 
welcome  to  him.  "So  might  the  tumult  of 
the  wicked  be  hushed  within  the  gathering 
shadows  of  the  Judgment  Day!" 

The  deeply  cleft  ridges  of  massive  rock, 
one  beyond  another,  that  fell  steeply  down 
before  him  to  the  far  edge  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
were  not  more  impregnable  than  his  spirit, 
nor  more  insensible  to  the  soft  allurements 
of  pleasure. 

The  withering  air  that  rushed  past  him 
up  the  gorge,  as  though  it  came  from  some 
profound  abyss  of  fire,  was  symbol  of  the 
intolerable  blasts  that  soon  should  sweep 
the  wicked  off  as  chaff. 

A  counterpart  of  Pharisee  and  scribe  he 
saw  beneath  him  in  the  mysterious  sea,  so 
fair  to  the  eye,  divinely  sheltered,  and  lift- 
ing up  a  calm  unruffled  face  to  heaven, 
but  bitter  still,  though  ever  drinking  of 
sweet  waters — bitter  and  strewing  desola- 
tion along  every  shore  it  touched. 

But  yonder,  where  the  sun  still  bathed 
the  heights  of  Moab,  and  where,  above 
those  purpling  earthly  heights,  rose,  mo- 


24       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

tionless  and  shining,  other  airy  summits 
never  scaled  by  man,  he  saw  what  yet  should 
be  for  Israel,  saw  the  exaltation  that  should 
follow  present  judgment,  and  he  gazed 
long,  all  unmindful  of  the  dread  gulf  be- 
neath him. 

Then  voices  of  the  past,  awakened  by 
the  vision  and  the  hour,  came  to  him 
through  the  sacred  silence  with  fresh,  up- 
lifting messages  of  trust  and  hope.  Words 
of  ancient  promise  which  had  often  thrilled 
him  strangely,  now  kindled  all  his  soul 
again  and  more  deeply. 

"There  shall  come  forth  a  star  out  of  Jacob, 
And  a  scepter  shall  rise  out  of  Israel." 

"Ask  of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  nations  for  thine 
inheritance, 
And  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  posses- 
sion." 

"Behold,  I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth;  and 
the  former  things  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor 
come  into  mind." 

And  the  sacred  hope  that  lighted  up  those 
faces  dearest  to  him  in  his  boyhood  became 


THE   HERALD  25 


a  passion  and  a  prayer  beyond  the  power 
of  speech  to  utter.  Again  he  felt  the  fare- 
well pressure  of  his  father's  hands  as  he,  in 
glowing  faith,  bade  him  await  the  King's 
approach,  not  idly  but  as  a  prophet  of  the 
end.  Thus  rapt  above  himself  with  strong 
desire,  his  spirit  open  and  intent,  the  mes- 
sage fell  upon  his  inner  ear:  "The  ap- 
pointed season  is  fulfilled.  Make  haste  and 
call  the  nation  to  repentance.  Spare  not; 
cry  aloud,  for  the  great  and  terrible  day 
is  at  hand." 

Then  the  young  prophet  bowed  himself 
in  prayer  while  the  night  gathered  and  the 
stars  came  out.  Alone  in  the  wide  and  wild 
desert,  he  was  glad  and  strong,  for  the  time 
of  waiting  was  ended,  and  he  had  now  a 
great  and  sure  message  for  his  people. 

We  meet  him  next  in  Achor,  whose  val- 
ley, through  his  preaching,  became  a  door 
of  hope.  Near  a  great  highway  along 
which,  to  and  from  the  Jordan  ford, 
throngs  of  people  were  daily  passing,  he 
lifted  up  his  voice  as  herald  of  the  coming 
King. 

To  the  eastward,  in  an  hour,  one  came 


26   JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

to  Jericho,  which  with  its  suburbs  lay  con- 
cealed in  palms  and  gardens  of  spice;  and 
nearer  was  the  road  to  the  north,  to  Pha- 
saelus,  Beth-shean,  and  the  Lake  of  Galilee. 
The  river  Kelt  was  flowing  with  abundant 
water  from  the  mountains  of  Gibeah  and 
Beth-aven. 

Six  days  had  passed  already  since  the  re- 
port had  gone  abroad  that  one  clad  like 
Elijah  and  powerful  in  his  words  had  at 
last  appeared  in  Israel.  The  morning  of 
the  seventh  day  saw  people  more  in  num- 
ber than  before  seeking  the  banks  of  the 
Kelt,  to  see  and  hear  the  young  prophet. 
Few  came  except  with  quickened  pulse  and 
eager  spirit,  for  the  prophet's  message — 
was  it  not  what  they  had  waited  long  to 
hear?  Did  it  not  mean  a  King  of  their  own, 
yea  and  strong  of  arm  to  set  them  up  on 
high?  Did  it  not  mean  a  swift  release  from 
the  burden  of  taxes  and  the  shame  of  for- 
eign rule? 

A  King  of  their  own,  yes  and  overflowing 
wine-fats  and  wheat  and  figs  and  oil  accord- 
ing to  all  their  wishes!  But  some,  whose 
sense  of  need  was  deeper,  thought  of  hap- 


THE   HERALD  27 


pier  ways  to  serve  the  Lord  than  those  of 
scribe  and  Pharisee,  in  which  they  and 
their  fathers  had  long  and  vainly  sought  to 
walk.  Might  not  the  coming  age  bring  bet- 
ter ways  than  these,  and  change  their  pain- 
ful service  into  one  of  joy? 

But  nearly  all  who  came — the  rich  and 
the  poor,  both  young  and  old,  those  who 
wanted  bread  alone,  and  they  who  craved  a 
higher  good,  came  onward  with  expectant 
hearts.  Nor  were  they  sent  away  unmoved. 
For  though  the  prophet  talked  of  judgment 
and  called  them  to  renounce  their  sins,  he 
spoke  also  the  word  which  they  had  come 
to  hear,  and  spoke  it  with  a  tone  of  certainty 
that  made  their  spirits  leap  in  exultation. 
Their  King  was  coming,  and  the  day  of 
their  deliverance  was  at  hand!  They 
clasped  each  other  in  their  arms  and  .wept 
for  joy. 

But  the  straitness  of  the  path  by  which 
alone  an  entrance  to  the  Kingdom  could  be 
had — the  path  of  penitence  and  of  purer, 
kindlier  living — this  stirred  their  hearts  less 
deeply.  Yet  in  the  awe  and  gladness  which 
the  tidings  of  the  Kingdom's  near  approach 


28       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

had  brought,  they  were  widely  swayed  to 
heed  the  prophet's  stern  rebuke  and  sum- 
mons, and  to  make  confession  of  their  sins. 
Group  after  group,  some  small,  some  num- 
bering scores,  went  down  with  John  into 
the  stream,  and  were  baptised.  The  crowds 
grew  less  as  night  came  on,  but  many  lin- 
gered still  beside  the  Kelt.  Some  cast  them- 
selves upon  the  ground  to  await  the  excite- 
ment of  another  day  among  the  wondering 
multitudes,  and  learn  perhaps  how  soon, 
and  where,  the  King  would  first  be  seen. 
Some  were  not  able  to  depart,  so  strong 
upon  them  lay  the  prophet's  spiritual  in- 
fluence. He  suffered  these  to  follow  him  to 
his  rude  shelter  in  a  neighbouring  cliff, 
from  which  no  offers  of  a  resting  place  and 
food  in  Jericho  could  tempt  him,  and  there 
he  spoke  to  them  more  fully  of  his  hope. 
They  shared  with  him  their  bread  and  fish, 
and,  late,  they  slept. 

Like  this  came  other  days,  when  from  the 
bank  of  Kelt  or  Jordan  wider  circles  heard 
the  startling  message,  and  bore  it  swiftly  to 
their  homes.  The  air  grew  thick  with 
rumours.   Men  forgot  their  daily  tasks  and 


THE  HERALD  29 


common  pleasures  in  hearing  stories  of  the 
prophet,  or  in  talking  of  the  future.  Soon 
the  farthest  hamlets  of  the  land  were 
moved,  as  some  wide  forest  when  a  summer 
storm  draws  near,  and  Israel  looked  and 
waited  for  a  glorious  Kingdom. 


CHAPTER  TWO 


FROM  THE  CARPENTER'S  BENCH 


CHAPTER   TWO 

FROM  THE  CARPENTER'S  BENCH 

THE  thrill  that  passed  from  heart  to 
heart  when  John  proclaimed  the  com- 
ing of  the  long-expected  Kingdom  reached 
Nazareth  among  the  sheltering  hills  of 
Galilee  as  Mary,  widowed  mother  of  a 
family  of  seven,  sought  water  for  the  eve- 
ning meal.  She  scarce  had  reached  the 
fountain — the  sole  one  in  the  village  whose 
waters  never  failed — when  a  man  came  run- 
ning up  the  road  that  joins  the  hamlet  with 
Esdraelon,  shouting  as  he  neared  the  foun- 
tain, "A  prophet!  a  prophet!" 

Then  Mary  with  the  other  women,  six  or 
eight  together,  their  jars  unfilled,  drank  in 
the  wondrous  news  which  made  this  day  of 
early  spring  one  long  to  be  remembered. 

The  man  who  brought  the  tidings,  a 
dweller  in  the  town  whom  she  had  known 
for  years,  had  come  from  Jericho,  whither 

33 


34       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

he  had  gone  some  days  before  with  skins  of 
olive-oil  for  market  He  there  had  heard 
of  John,  and  then  had  seen  him  by  the  Jor- 
dan. So  thrilled  and  conquered  was  he  by 
what  he  saw  and  heard  that  he  had  been 
baptised,  then  leaving  half  his  oil  unsold 
had  hastened  with  all  speed  to  bear  the  start- 
ling message  home  to  Nazareth.  He  said 
none  knew  whence  John  had  come,  or  to 
what  family  in  Israel  he  belonged,  but  all 
confessed  that,  when  he  spoke,  the  Spirit 
rested  on  him  mightily  as  on  Elijah  in  the 
ancient  days.  He  told  them  boldly  of  their 
sins,  and  of  the  sifting  that  must  be  in  all 
the  land  before  Messiah  could  sit  down 
upon  his  throne.  He  said  the  day  of  ven- 
geance and  reward  was  just  at  hand — the 
day  whose  light  would  search  the  inmost 
thoughts  of  men. 

Now  as  the  women  heard  these  words, 
they  marvelled  much,  believing  what  the 
man  had  told,  and  wondering  what  would 
follow.  Other  people  soon  came  hurrying 
to  the  fountain,  and  Mary  filled  her  jar, 
and  started  homeward.  As  she  climbed  the 
fountain  stairs  a  neighbour  who  had  heard 


FROM  THE  CARPENTER'S  BENCH       35 

the  story  with  her  asked  her  if  she  thought 
that  Jesus,  her  eldest  son,  would  go  down  to 
Jordan  at  the  prophet's  call.  This  question 
had  already  asked  itself  within  her  heart, 
but  had  found  no  answer.  She  knew  her 
son  would  do  what  seemed  right  to  him, 
but  whether  this  or  that  she  could  not  tell. 
He  had  his  own  deep  thoughts,  not  seldom 
strange  to  her  in  those  old  days. 

When  evening  came,  she  watched  the 
path  across  the  hill  toward  Sepphoris,  ex- 
pecting Jesus,  who  with  James  and  Joses, 
younger  sons,  wrought  upon  a  storehouse  \  » 
for  a  wealthy  man  whose  villa  was  an  hour's 
walk  from  Nazareth.  They  came  in  sight 
at  last,  when  all  the  evening  shadows  were 
blended  into  one,  and,  wearied  by  the  long 
day's  toil,  approached  their  little  home  in 
silence.  Their  filial  greeting  was  scarce 
spoken  before  Jesus,  who  was  always  quick 
to  notice,  read  upon  his  mother's  counte- 
nance that  something  new  and  wondrous  had 
befallen.  His  sandals  laid  aside,  he  bathed 
his  face  and  hands  and  feet,  and  then,  re- 
clining in  his  customary  place,  he  looked 
into  her  eyes  and  waited. 


36       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Then  Mary  quickly  told  what  she  had 
heard,  and  where,  and  who  had  brought  the 
news.  When  she  had  finished  speaking,  her 
youngest  son,  Simon,  who  then  was  but  a 
lad  of  twelve,  most  like  his  father  Joseph 
whom  he  never  saw,  besought  that  he  might 
run  down  to  the  village  fountain,  and  if  the 
man  were  there,  might  hear  him  for  him- 
self.   And  Mary  let  him  go. 

The  older  sons  and  daughters,  with  won- 
der in  their  hearts  and  many  questions  on 
their  lips,  ate  their  barley  broth,  their  bread 
and  fish.  What  would  their  rabbi,  Nathan, 
say  to  this  strange  tale?  Who  of  the  people 
of  the  town  would  answer  to  the  prophet's 
call?  What  would  Pilate  and  the  Romans 
do?  And  might  this  man,  mysteriously  ap- 
pearing in  the  desert  and  drawing  greater 
crowds  from  day  to  day,  be  that  old  prophet 
of  whose  coming  they  had  heard? 

These  and  many  other  words  were  spoken 
by  them,  but  Jesus  did  not  speak,  save  now 
and  then  in  answer  to  some  question  and 
briefly.  Little  of  the  supper  did  he  take  for 
one  who  all  day  long  had  laboured  with  his 
hands.     It  was  not  marked   that  he  was 


FROM  THE  CARPENTER'S  BENCH        37 

silent  through  the  evening  meal,  for  often 
he  was  silent,  as  one  wrapt  up  in  thought. 
When  he  arose  at  length,  and  passed  into 
the  little  chamber  that  he  shared  with 
James  and  Simon,  Mary  did  not  seek  to 
learn  his  purpose,  but  turned  her  to  the 
simple  household  cares. 

In  the  evening  neighbours  came  to  talk 
of  that  which  now  was  uppermost  in  each 
man's  mind ;  and  when  they  asked  for  Jesus, 
his  brother  Joses  said  that  he  had  gone  apart 
somewhere  upon  the  wooded  hill  behind  the 
house,  as  not  infrequently  he  did  at  night, 
the  day's  work  being  ended. 

At  dawn  upon  the  morrow  Mary  did  not 
need  to  ask  what  Jesus  thought  about  the 
sudden  tidings  from  the  Jordan  valley,  for 
he  was  clad  as  on  the  feast  days,  and  his 
face  was  lighted  even  more  than  it  was  wont 
to  be.  He  asked  his  brothers  if  they' Would 
not  go  with  him,  obedient  to  the  prophet's 
call,  and  thus  make  ready  for  the  coming 
Kingdom,  but  he  urged  them  not.  He  said 
he  fully  believed  the  work  at  Jordan  was 
ordered  of  the  Lord,  the  voice  Elijah's,  and 
that  the  coming  age  was  nigh.   When  James 


38       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

and  Joses  took  their  scrip  and  tools  and 
started  for  their  daily  work,  he  gave  them 
brotherly  farewell,  and  said  that  if  they 
wished  to  use  his  newer  axe  and  saw  instead 
of  theirs,  they  might.  But  Simon  begged 
to  go  with  Jesus  to  the  Jordan,  and  his 
mother  quickly  made  such  simple  prepara- 
tion for  the  three  days'  journey  as  she  was 
able. 

When  they  started  forth  together,  she 
went  with  them  to  the  highway,  and  there 
watched  until  they  disappeared.  But  little 
did  she  think  that  from  their  visit  to  the 
Jordan  there  would  come  what  came  in 
later  days  of  shame  and  pain,  of  bitter  strife 
and  turmoil,  a  broken  household  and  a 
broken  heart. 

Alone,  at  twilight  of  the  ninth  day,  her 
youngest  son  returned,  having  had  company 
from  Jericho  until,  on  nearing  Nazareth, 
the  road  turns  off  to  Sarid  and  the  sea. 
Mary  asked  where  Jesus  was,  but  Simon 
could  not  tell.  He  said  his  brother  came 
with  him  from  Jordan  unto  Jericho,  and 
having  there  commended   him   to   friends 


FROM  THE  CARPENTER'S  BENCH        39 

about  to  start  for  Galilee,  had  gone  he  knew 
not  whither. 

And  Simon  told  her  of  the  prophet,  how 
stern  and  grand  he  was,  and  how  the  people 
trembled  as  he  spoke  of  sin  and  judgment; 
how  different  he  was  from  all  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees.  The  crowds  were  just  as 
great,  he  said,  as  those  about  the  Temple 
at  the  Passover,  and  more  were  coming 
every  day  along  all  the  roads  to  Jordan. 

Such  was  the  story  Simon  told  on  reach- 
ing home,  with  many  lesser  incidents  that 
had  impressed  his  boyish  mind.  But  what 
his  mother  most  desired  to  know — where 
Jesus  was,  why  he  had  stayed  behind,  what 
now  he  thought  of  John  and  of  the  changes 
soon  to  be — she  could  not  learn  from  him. 

Then  days  and  weeks  went  by,  and  Mary, 
waiting  for  her  son,  her  eldest  child,  the 
staff  on  which  she  leaned,  thought  fondly  of 
all  his  radiant  boyhood,  thought  how  strong 
and  gentle  he  had  ever  been,  and  how  his 
father's  care  for  all  the  household  needs  had 
been  assumed  and  bravely  borne  by  him 
since  that  dark  summer  when  the  father  fell 
asleep.    Her  home  grew  lonelier  as  the  days 


40       JESUS   FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

went  by  and  Jesus  came  not  back.  They 
who  later  went  from  Nazareth  to  Jordan 
and  returned,  could  tell  her  nothing  of  her 
son.  In  little  intervals  of  rest  between  her 
household  cares  she  sat  where  she  could 
watch  the  way,  and  when  awake  at  night 
she  started  at  each  sudden  sound  about  the 
cottage,  wondering  if  he  were  come.  She 
knew  it  not,  yet  all  her  anxious  fear  and 
loneliness  of  heart  was  little  by  the  side  of 
that  strange,  fearful  solitude  in  which  her 
son,  far  off  from  Nazareth,  was  buried. 


CHAPTER  THREE 


THE  CHOICE  OF  WAYS 


CHAPTER  THREE 

THE  CHOICE  OF  WAYS 

THE  long  habit  of  his  youth  and  early 
manhood,  to  withdraw  from  men 
when  deeply  moved  and  meditate  in  solitary 
places,  asserted  itself  with  sudden  might 
when  Jesus,  face  to  face  with  John  at  Jor- 
dan, his  spirit  to  its  inmost  depths  exalted 
by  the  message  of  the  prophet,  perceived 
that  God  was  calling  him  to  realise  the  com- 
ing Kingdom.  And  when  his  youngest 
brother,  Simon,  had  been  entrusted  to  the 
care  of  friends  for  the  return  to  Nazareth, 
he  quickly  fled  from  Jericho,  and  rested  not 
till  miles  away  in  the  wild  middle  of  a 
naked  desert.  No  sound  of  man  invaded  his 
retreat.  The  tumult  by  the  Jordan,  the 
noise  of  throngs  along  the  highways,  the 
questions  of  excited  men,  had  given  place 
to  utter  silence,  and  his  soul  could  sink  it- 

43 


44       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

self  in  the  holy,  yet  dread,  secret  of  his 
Messianic  call. 

Again  and  yet  again,  well  nigh  continu- 
ously by  day  and  night,  the  words,  "Thou 
art  my  son,"  which  fell  upon  his  soul  by 
Jordan,  resounded  through  his  spirit.  He 
knew  the  voice  that  uttered  them — the  same 
that  often  in  the  quiet  hours  of  deepest  aspi- 
ration he  had  heard  and  welcomed  as  his 
Father's  with  peace  and  joy  too  great  for 
words.  He  knew  the  meaning  of  the  mes- 
sage, and  all  his  being  rose  in  mighty  ques- 
tionings. 

"I,  a  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  the  prom- 
ised King!  I  to  sit  upon  the  holy  hill  of 
Zion,  and  have  dominion  from  the  river  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth!  I  to  build  the  temple 
of  the  Lord!  To  sit  upon  the  throne  of 
David!  To  let  the  oppressed  of  Israel  go 
free!  These  hands,  that  all  my  life  have 
toiled  with  axe  and  saw,  to  wield  hence- 
forth a  royal  sceptre,  and  kings  to  fall  down 
before  me!  I  to  stand  as  an  ensign  of  the 
peoples,  to  whom  the  nations  shall  seek! 

"But  thy  people,  O  my  Father,  seek  a 
King  and  Kingdom  of  this  world.     They 


THE  CHOICE  OF  WAYS  45 

long  to  be  exalted  far  above  the  Gentiles, 
and  our  rabbis  teach  us  from  thy  word  that 
this  shall  be  when  the  Messiah  comes.  Thy 
prophet  at  the  Jordan,  the  herald  of  the 
Kingdom,  warns  of  judgment  which  the 
King  will  hold  at  his  appearing.  But 
where  shall  it  begin?  Thy  sheep  are  scat- 
tered and  perplext,  blinded  and  torn,  and 
know  not  thy  love.  The  shepherds  tend 
them  not  in  wisdom.  They  are  not  meet  to 
have  Messiah  come  to  them  in  judgment. 
First  must  he  come  in  blessing,  to  gather 
the  dispersed  together  and  feed  them  what 
thou  givest,  to  turn  the  fathers  and  the  chil- 
dren back  to  thy  holy  way  and  set  thy  King- 
dom up  in  all  our  land.  But  this  is  not  the 
kingly  sway  thy  people  covet,  the  good  of 
which  they  dream,  and  which  our  fathers 
have  implored  of  thee  so  long. 

"Will  they  give  heed  to  me  unless  I  raise 
the  banner  of  a  king  and  thrust  the  Gen- 
tiles forth?  But  this  I  cannot  do.  What 
is  my  father's  house!  I  have  no  throne  to 
sit  upon,  no  sceptre  for  my  hand,  no  soldiers 
and  no  gold.  Yea,  and  I  crave  none  of  these 
things.    What  are  they  to  thy  love?    Could 


46       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Israel  know  thee  as  thou  art,  the  day  of  his 
deliverance  would  break  at  once.  And 
shall  not  the  Messiah  reveal  thy  love  to 
him?    But  how?" 

And  Jesus  was  unmindful  of  the  heat  of 
day  and  chill  of  night  and  of  the  hardness 
of  the  stony  couch  whereon  at  times,  when 
sore  exhausted  by  the  inner  struggle,  he 
lay  down.  The  bits  of  bread  and  fish  within 
his  scrip  were  scarcely  touched  for  days, 
no  more  the  honey  that  his  eye,  unseeking, 
saw  among  the  rocks  along  his  wandering 
way. 

The  dawn  of  day,  the  wild  grandeur  of 
the  desert  landscape,  the  far-off  beauty  of 
the  mountain  views  at  evening,  the  vision  of 
God's  glory  in  the  stars,  which  had  been 
wont  to  flood  his  soul  with  thoughts  un- 
speakable, were  all  unheeded  now.  An- 
other world  lay  round  him,  and  other 
scenes,  swift-changing,  vast  and  awful, 
passed  before  his  spirit.  He  moved  through 
deserts  fiercer  and  more  lonely  than  that 
which  overlooks  the  Jordan  from  the  west, 
and  felt  that  gulfs  were  yawning  by  his 
pathway  far  deeper  and  more  deadly  than 


THE  CHOICE  OF  WAYS  47 

that  which  glows  and  shudders  below  the 
plains  of  Judah.  But  these  again  were  hid- 
den under  pleasant  scenes  that  floated  past 
his  spirit  as  in  a  golden  haze. 

The  little  home  in  Nazareth,  the  vines 
that  he  had  set  and  trained,  the  walnut 
trees  and  fountain,  and  the  simple,  happy- 
round  of  toil  for  daily  bread,  appeared  to 
him  as  in  a  dream,  then  vanished.  After- 
ward, upon  the  dear  familiar  ground  where 
he  had  played  in  childhood,  he  saw  a  lordly 
palace  that  towered  high  above  the  village, 
built  to  stand  for  many  generations.  And 
this  was  his,  a  country-seat  of  Israel's  King. 

Another  palace,  statelier  yet,  arose  on 
David's  hill,  within  a  city  cleansed  and 
glorified;  and  in  its  high  resplendent  hall 
were  scenes  of  royal  Messianic  state,  where- 
to all  lands  and  peoples  gladly  sent  their 
richest  offerings.  These  in  turn  gave  way 
to  other  and  more  welcome  scenes  in  which 
the  Lord's  Anointed,  acknowledged  now  of 
all,  taught  men  the  sacred  law. 

And  Jesus  said  within  his  heart,  "Can 
this  be  gained?  Can  I  fulfil  my  people's 
hope  of  outward  rank,  and  then,  by  means 


48       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

of  that,  fulfil  my  own  deep  longing  too? 
Alas!  this  cannot  be.  If  they,  when  poor 
and  wretched,  subject  to  the  Gentile  power, 
reject  the  truth  thy  prophets  have  pro- 
claimed, how  shall  they  choose  it  in  the 
glow  of  pride  and  pleasure? 

"These  visions  came  not  from  above:  I 
will  not  look  upon  them  more.  They  turn 
my  thought  from  thee,  who  saidst,  Thou 
art  my  son.  They  wound  and  blind  my 
spirit. 

"But  whither  shall  I  look?  How  work 
deliverance  for  thy  people?  Why  am  I  be- 
wildered thus,  and  lonely,  hungry,  helpless? 
Helpless!  Is  it  surely  thus  with  me?  Is 
not  the  might  of  God  bestowed  upon  his 
King?  Will  not  my  word  turn  stones  to 
bread  and  make  these  dry  ravines  o'erflow 
with  waters?  Shall  I  then  speak  and  test 
my  might,  and  prove  the  vision  true  that 
came  to  me  by  Jordan?  Nay,  how  can  I 
doubt  thy  voice,  my  Father,  or  thy  care? 
How  can  I  cease  to  rest  on  thee  and  do  thy 
bidding  only,  wherein  I  ever  found  my  life 
made  full?  I  could  not  listen  to  the  sacred 
call  that  broke  upon  my  soul  beside  the 


THE  CHOICE  OF  WAYS  49 

river,  I  should  not  dare  to  think  of  King 
Messiah's  work,  unless  the  King,  e'en  as  a 
little  child,  were  still  at  every  step  to  have 
the  sure  guidance  of  thine  eye. 

"Messiah's  work — if  not  a  swift  ascent  to 
power  and  a  kingly  reign,  what  shall  it  be? 
How  ordered?    Where  begun? 

"How  fair  the  years  behind,  the  quiet  life 
my  soul  has  lived  with  thee,  in  open  vision 
of  thy  truth!  O  can  it  be  that  from  this 
very  soil  shall  grow  and  blossom  all  the 
sceptre  that  thy  King  may  wield?  And  can 
it  be  that  from  thy  love,  the  secret  thou  hast 
spoken  to  my  heart,  shall  yet  be  made  the 
shining  throne  of  thine  Anointed? 

"I  see  thy  way,  my  God,  and  make  it 
mine." 

And  Jesus  slept  upon  his  rocky  couch  as 
once  within  the  little  chamber  of  the  home 
in  Nazareth  after  a  long  day  of  toil. 

His  people's  dream  was  not  for  him.  The 
path  he  chose  was  humble,  and  perchance 
as  lonely  as  his  desert  resting  place,  yet  it 
was  best,  the  one  sure  path  on  which  to 
lead  his  people  forth  into  the  promised 
Kingdom. 


CHAPTER  FOUR 


FIRST  NOTES  OF  THE  GOSPEL 


CHAPTER   FOUR 

FIRST  NOTES  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

THE  large  new  synagogue  which  Caius 
the  centurion  had  built  and  given  to 
Capernaum  was  thronged  the  second  Sab- 
bath after  Jesus  had  appeared  beside  the 
lake  from  his  sojourn  in  the  wilderness. 
For  he  had  won  disciples,  and  his  name  was 
known  in  every  street  throughout  the  town. 
He  had  called  the  sons  of  Zebedee  from 
the  near  shore  where  they  were  working  on 
their  fishing-nets  and  two  other  men  whose 
boat  was  anchored  half  a  furlong  from  the 
pier.  And  people  talked  of  him  more  than 
of  the  splendid  merchant  caravan  which 
passed  that  morning  for  Damascus  with  a 
band  of  Roman  cavalry  as  guard. 

Jesus  went  to  morning  worship  with 
Simon,  in  whose  house  he  had  lodged  the 
night  before. 

As  Zebedee  was  then  the  ruler  of  the 

53 


54       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

synagogue,  and  sat  beside  the  cedar  chest 
wherein  were  kept  the  sacred  rolls,  he  gave 
a  sign  that  Jesus  be  led  forward  to  his  va- 
cant seat;  but  he,  instead  of  going,  sent  for- 
ward another  who  leaned  upon  a  staff  for 
very  age,  himself  remaining  there  with 
those  who  stood. 

The  house,  though  next  in  size  to  that  one 
which  the  King  had  lately  given  to  his  cap- 
ital Tiberias,  was  full  before  the  hour  of 
worship,  and  out  in  front  a  crowd  pressed 
round  each  door. 

When  Zebedee  arose  and  sounded  on  the 
silver  trumpet,  all  were  still.  It  chanced  a 
priest  was  there  that  day,  and  him  he  asked 
to  lead  the  people  in  their  worship.  Con- 
senting, he  took  his  place  before  the  chest, 
and  lifting  up  his  hands  he  spoke  two  bless- 
ings on  the  congregation.  All  then  joined 
in  the  confession  which  they  had  from 
Moses :  "Hear,  O  Israel,  Jehovah  our  God 
is  one  Jehovah ;  and  thou  shalt  love  Jehovah 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul,  and  with  all  thy  might."  Another 
blessing  was  spoken  by  the  priest,  and  after 
that,  when  all  had  turned  to  face  the  Holy 


FIRST  NOTES  OF  THE  GOSPEL  55 

Place  on  Zion,  even  those  who  stood  before 
the  synagogue  as  well  as  those  within,  he 
spoke  the  prayer,  and  all  the  people  said 
Amen. 

But  when  he  prayed,  as  was  their  wont, 
that  God  would  cause  to  flourish  the  prom- 
ised seed  of  David,  and  would  speedily 
exalt  his  horn  in  Israel's  salvation,  Zebedee 
the  ruler  of  the  house  thought  of  Jesus 
standing  there  before  him,  and  wondered  if 
the  prayer  would  soon  be  answered. 

Then  the  seven  men  whom  he  had  chosen 
for  that  service  took  the  Law  from  the  at- 
tendant, and  read  the  lesson  for  the  day, 
three  verses  each,  while  by  the  first  and  last 
a  blessing  too  was  spoken,  enclosing  thus  the 
sacred  word  with  benedictions. 

Now  the  passage  for  that  day  when  Jesus 
for  the  first  time  stood  among  the  congrega- 
tion was  that  which  tells  what  Moses  said 
a  little  time  before  his  end — the  Blessing 
of  the  tribes.  The  face  of  Jesus  as  he  stood 
there  by  the  second  pillar  in  the  eastern  row 
— there  were  two  rows  of  pillars  in  the 
building — often  held  the  gaze  of  Zebedee; 


56       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

and  when  the  seventh  reader  read  the 
words : 

"The  eternal  God  is  thy  dwelling  place, 
And  underneath  are  the  everlasting  arms. 
Happy  art  thou,  O  Israel; 

Who  is  like  unto  thee,  a  people  saved  by  Jehovah, 
The  shield  of  thy  help, 
And  the  sword  of  thy  excellency " 

when  the  reader  read  these  words,  the  face 
of  Jesus  glowed  with  peace  and  quiet  joy. 

Then  the  ruler  called  him  by  his  name, 
and  asked  if  he  would  speak  unto  the  people 
on  the  sacred  lesson  they  had  heard,  for 
men  already  called  him  "rabbi"  and  heeded 
what  he  said.  So  Jesus  stepped  upon  the 
platform,  and  sat  down;  and  a  great  silence 
fell  upon  the  throng.  "Blessed  art  thou,  O 
Israel,"  he  said,  "for  the  eternal  God  is  thy 
dwelling  place  and  underneath  thee  are  the 
everlasting  arms.  Who  is  like  unto  thee,  a 
people  saved  by  Jehovah." 

Many  things  he  said  that  morning  of  Je- 
hovah and  his  favour  which  fell  upon  the 
longing  hearts  before  him  as  rain  upon  a 
thirsty  land.    Words  that  took  new  mean- 


FIRST  NOTES  OF  THE  GOSPEL  57 

ing  on  his  lips  and  henceforth,  in  the  mem- 
ory of  those  who  heard  him,  never  ceased 
to  shine  and  beckon  as  do  dear  faces  that 
have  vanished  from  the  earth,  were  "Fa- 
ther," "everlasting  arms,"  and  "Kingdom," 
"life,"  and  "peace."  He  blessed  the  com- 
mon things,  man's  pain  and  sorrow.  He 
blessed  the  hidden  springs  of  life.  He 
blessed  the  patient  waiting  for  the  Lord. 
And  when  his  lips  said  "blessed,"  it  was  as 
though  the  ear  and  heart  had  heard  the 
sweetest  music.  He  spoke  of  God,  and  said 
that  he  was  present  with  them  in  the  syna- 
gogue and  present  with  the  friends  at  home, 
his  arms  beneath  them,  his  Kingdom  open 
to  all  seekers. 

The  old  man  leaning  on  his  staff  was  lost 
in  contemplation  of  the  face  of  Jesus,  and 
the  peace  of  Heaven  settled  then  upon  his 
spirit.  For  when,  a  few  days  afterward,  his 
children  listened  at  his  bedside  to  catch  his 
latest  word  of  benediction,  they  heard  him 
murmur  "Father,"  "everlasting  arms." 
And  so  he  found  the  Kingdom. 

But  not  to  all  within  the  synagogue  was 
Jesus  welcome.    The  voice  that  soothed  one 


58       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

spirit,  pierced  another  as  a  sword.  For 
suddenly  a  wild  and  angry  shriek  rang 
through  the  house,  leaving  all  breathless, 
fearful,  horrified.  Those  nearest  to  the 
furious  man  drew  back,  as  he  sprang  for- 
ward, clutching  fiercely  in  the  air  before 
him.  He  tore  his  matted  beard ;  he  gnashed 
his  teeth,  and  screamed  at  Jesus.  No  one 
laid  hand  upon  him,  and  he  had  an  open 
way  to  where  the  prophet  sat.  But  a  name- 
less terror  seemed  to  hold  him  back,  while 
hate  ran  riot  in  his  hideously  contorted  face, 
his  cries  and  gesturings.  His  raging  ceased 
a  little  when  his  gleaming  eyes  encountered 
those  of  Jesus  fully;  and  in  this  lull,  the 
Master,  leaning  forward  in  his  seat,  with 
hand  uplifted,  speaking  calmly  but  with  un- 
measured confidence,  charged  the  demon  to 
come  forth.  At  this  the  wretched  man,  his 
face  as  that  of  one  who  is  tormented  greatly, 
cast  himself  upon  the  floor  of  stone,  and 
gave  a  long  despairing  cry  that  broke  the 
Sabbath  calm  through  half  the  town.  Then, 
as  though  set  free  from  frightful  dreams, 
he  raised  his  head,  looked  timidly  about, 


FIRST  NOTES  OF  THE  GOSPEL  59 

and  yielded  quietly  to  one  who  drew  him 
back  among  the  throng. 

And  Jesus  said  again,  with  new  meaning 
in  his  tone,  "Blessed  art  thou,  O  Israel,  a 
people  saved  by  Jehovah."  Then  he  arose, 
and  with  no  sign  from  Zebedee  he  spoke  the 
ancient  blessing  with  full  heart,  and  the 
meeting  closed. 

It  was  not  noticed  at  the  time,  but  later 
Zebedee  remembered,  that  the  second  lesson 
for  the  day,  the  lesson  from  the  prophets, 
was  not  read  that  morning.  But  it  was  fit- 
ting so,  for  now  again  a  living  prophet 
spoke  to  men. 

Astonishment  held  all  who  saw  his  deed 
and  heard  his  word.  They  felt  that  here 
was  power,  here  was  life,  here  a  new  kind 
of  teaching.  It  seemed  to  some  as  though 
the  mighty  days  of  yore  were  come  again, 
when  there  were  men  of  vision,  men  to 
whom  the  spirit  of  the  living  God  gave 
high  authority,  bold,  heroic  men. 

Some  ran  forth  to  tell  abroad  and  in  their 
homes  what  they  had  seen  and  heard,  some 
followed  Jesus  to  the  house  of  Simon. 


CHAPTER  FIVE 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON 


CHAPTER   FIVE 

THE  WIDENING  HORIZON 

SOME  weeks  of  constant  work  passed  by, 
and  Jesus  who  had  travelled  far  and 
wide  through  Galilee,  declaring  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  ancient  promise  of  a  heavenly 
Kingdom  and  healing  men's  diseases,  was 
back  again  beside  the  lake. 

The  town  was  thronged  with  those  who 
watched  for  his  return.  No  one  had  ever 
seen  such  crowds  in  Galilee,  people  who 
had  come  from  north  and  south  and  from 
beyond  the  Jordan.  Men  from  Maon  and 
Aroer,  having  heard  that  one  was  risen  who 
had  power  to  heal,  had  come  a  six  days' 
journey,  bringing  with  them  on  their  camels 
those  who  had  disease.  Men  from  Jabesh 
and  from  Succoth  in  Perea;  men  from  Car- 
mel  and  Beth-shean;  men  from  the  high- 
lands under  Hermon,  from  Luz  and  Abel- 
maim;  and  men  from  the  Syrian  coast-land, 

63 


64   JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

some  on  foot  with  sick  folk  brought  on  lit- 
ters, some  on  beasts  of  burden,  had  sought 
the  town  of  Jesus,  clamouring  for  help. 

The  market-place  no  longer  held  the 
throngs,  and  Jesus,  toward  evening  of  the 
second  day  since  his  return — a  day  of  toil 
from  early  morning  on — led  them  forth 
along  the  lakeside,  southward  from  the 
lower  town,  and  there  addressed  them  from 
the  boat  which  James  had  brought  him. 

People  came  and  went,  some  murmuring 
because  they  could  not  bring  their  sick  at 
once  to  Jesus.  Why  should  he  stop  to  talk, 
they  said,  when  he  had  power  to  heal  dis- 
ease? They  had  come  a  toilsome  way  be- 
cause their  need  was  urgent,  yet  did  he  not 
regard  them.  Others  bade  the  murmurers 
hold  their  peace,  and  listen  to  the  prophet's 
words. 

Gradually  many  boats  drew  near,  some 
coming  from  the  lake  to  view  the  scene,  a 
fisherman  or  two  in  each,  some  hired  for 
the  purpose  and  loaded  to  the  water's  edge. 
In  one  there  lay  a  little  girl,  smitten  with 
some  sore  disease  that  the  doctors  could  not 
cure;  and  her  father  slowly  worked  his  boat 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  65 

among  the  rest,  no  one  opposing,  until  at 
last  it  lay  but  little  back  of  that  where  Jesus 
stood.  And  there  he  waited,  watching  o'er 
his  child. 

Jesus  spoke  as  he  had  spoken  in  the  syna- 
gogue at  first  He  called  men  to  the  King- 
dom as  to  their  goal :  it  was  the  gift  of  God, 
the  place  of  life. 

To  trust  the  Father  fully  and  be  free 
from  anxious  care,  to  love  each  other  and 
to  work  in  hope — he  said  the  Kingdom 
would  be  found  by  all  who  walked  this  way. 

What  he  himself  had  learned  of  God,  he 
earnestly  desired  that  men  should  learn  of 
him. 

And  as  he  spoke  such  words  the  shadows 
fell  across  the  lake  and  night  was  coming 
on.  Jesus  blessed  the  multitude  with  lifted 
hands,  and  asked  his  friends  to  row  a  little 
space  apart.  But  as  he  turned  to  sit — for  he 
had  stood  within  the  boat,  the  better  thus 
to  reach  the  crowd  upon  the  shore — he  saw 
the  little  sufferer  helpless  on  her  pallet, 
saw  the  patient,  trustful  pleading  of  the 
father's  eyes,  and  felt  within  his  heart  that 
God  would  grant  him  power  to  heal  the 


66       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

child.  The  boat  came  close  alongside  that 
in  which  the  Master  sat,  he  laid  his  hand 
upon  the  girl  with  words  of  benediction, 
and  simply  bade  the  father  go  in  peace. 

That  evening  Jesus  went  not  back  to 
Peter's  house  to  rest,  as  he  was  wont  to  do, 
nor  did  he  even  go  within  the  town.  He 
left  the  boat  far  up  the  shore,  and  bidding 
his  disciples  repair  to  him  at  dawn,  at  a 
convenient  spot  upon  the  hill,  he  went  away 
alone. 

Now  every  house  within  the  town  was 
open  to  the  strangers  who  were  there,  as 
they  are  opened  in  the  Holy  City  at  the 
feasts;  but  many  still  could  find  no  shelter, 
and  must  lodge  among  the  fishers'  boats 
along  the  shore,  or  in  the  market-place. 

With  earliest  glow  of  day  the  men  who 
slept  in  front  of  Peter's  house,  that  they 
might  be  the  first  to  see  the  wonder-worker, 
were  told  that  Jesus  was  not  there,  but  some- 
where on  the  hill,  an  hour's  walk  or  more 
toward  Hukkok,  northward.  This  word 
was  quickly  passed  along,  and  men,  when 
they  had  broken  bread,  set  out  to  find  the 
Master.     The  sons  of  Zebedee  were  with 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  67 

the  first  who  started,  taking  with  them 
bread  and  fish  and  wine  for  Jesus  and  them- 
selves. They  thought  he  would  not  come 
to  town  that  day,  for  he  had  said  the  night 
before,  while  with  them  in  the  boat,  that 
people  trode  upon  each  other  to  be  healed 
of  their  diseases,  yet  cared  but  little  or 
nothing  for  the  word  he  spoke  of  God  and 
life. 

The  streets,  that  day,  were  almost  silent 
at  the  hour  of  morning  prayer.  Many  shops 
were  closed  and  many  nets  hung  up,  their 
owners  making  holiday  at  Herod's  games, 
or  gone  forth  with  the  crowd  along  the 
Hukkok  road. 

When  Zebedee,  who  waited  in  Caper- 
naum until  the  service  in  the  synagogue  was 
ended,  reached  the  hill  and  joined  the  ever- 
growing multitude,  Jesus,  standing  by  a 
cliff  along  whose  top  grew  oak  and  walnut 
trees,  was  calling  those  by  name  whom  he 
would  have  with  him,  to  help  him  in  his 
work.  The  ruler  heard  him  call  his  sons, 
and  saw  them  go  and  take  their  seats  a  little 
space  before  him  on  the  grass.  He  felt  that 
they  were  worthy  of  the  place,  and  since  he 


68       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

did  not  dream  what  lay  before  them  of  toil 
and  persecution,  he  was  glad  the  Master  put 
their  names  among  the  twelve.  He  knew 
not  all  the  men  whom  Jesus  chose,  but 
nearly  all,  and  he  was  proud  of  Galilee, 
proud  also  of  his  little  town  beside  the  lake. 
He  thought  within  his  heart  that  priests  and 
scribes  and  Pharisees  and  people  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  rich  and  mighty,  were  plainly 
not  to  have  the  first  and  best  that  the  Mes- 
siah had  for  men,  should  Jesus  prove  to  be 
indeed  the  King  long-promised. 

When  at  length  the  twelve  were  seated 
in  a  semi-circle  before  Jesus,  he  looked  on 
them  and  on  the  throng  behind,  and  spoke 
great  words  and  wonderful  through  all  the 
morning. 

From  where  they  sat  the  eye  could  travel 
far  across  the  crystal  lake  of  Galilee,  and 
over  many  mountains  of  the  homeland  and 
Perea,  a  scene  most  rich  and  wide ;  but  Jesus 
raised  his  followers'  thought  to  higher, 
broader  visions  still,  to  see  the  beauty  of 
the  everlasting  things  in  which  the  soul  of 
man  was  meant  to  share.  The  past  and  fu- 
ture seemed  as  open  to  his  eye,  and  all  the 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  69 

secrets  of  the  heart,  as  was  the  lake  to  theirs. 
He  made  them  think  of  that  which  lay  be- 
neath the  surface  of  their  lives.  He  taught 
them  that  the  heart  is  greater  than  the  Law, 
the  synagogue  and  the  Temple — its  great- 
ness and  its  glory  this,  that  it  can  be  like 
God. 

He  spoke  to  them  with  great  authority, 
and  said  that  he  was  come  to  realise  the 
hopes  of  men  of  old  and  make  their  vision 
of  the  truth  complete;  that  on  his  word 
each  man  could  build  what  winds  and  floods 
should  never  overthrow;  and  that  by  those 
who  followed  him  not  Israel  alone  but  all 
the  earth  should  be  illuminated. 

The  words  he  spoke  were  near  to  com- 
mon things,  and  made  the  place  with  all 
around — the  larks  that  sang  above,  the 
white  and  purple  violets  in  the  grass,  the 
thorns  and  thistles  on  the  rocks — made  them 
what  they  had  not  been  before,  instinct  with 
higher  meaning,  epistles  of  the  thoughtful 
care  and  wisdom  of  the  Father. 

Yet  was  the  Master  one  with  those  who 
heard:  his  speech  and  dress  the  same  as 
theirs.    No  thunder  followed  what  he  said. 


JO       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

The  mountains  did  not  quake.  His  friends 
beheld  no  armies  in  the  air,  no  heavenly 
sponsors  of  his  word  or  guards  to  shield  him 
from  all  foes.  But  when  at  last  he  spoke  a 
blessing  and  was  still,  they  were  astonished 
more  than  words  could  measure,  and 
thought  that  Abraham  and  Moses  too  were 
less  than  he. 


CHAPTER  SIX 


WARNING  VOICES 


CHAPTER   SIX 

WARNING  VOICES 

WHEN  the  rulers  in  Jerusalem  had 
heard  from  Galilee  that  by  the 
words  and  deeds  of  one  called  Jesus  a  great 
excitement  had  arisen  about  the  lake  and 
back  among  the  mountains,  there  went  from 
time  to  time  both  priests  and  Pharisees,  to 
watch  him  closely  and  report  at  home. 
They  did  not  look  for  any  good  from  one 
who  set  himself  above  their  best  and  wis- 
est, a  man  untaught  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the 
rabbis  and  sprung  from  Nazareth.  His 
deeds  might  awe  and  dazzle  Galilean  fish- 
ermen, but  would  they  stand  the  test  of  those 
who  knew  the  Holy  Law  and  understood 
the  way  to  exorcise  the  demons? 

One  of  the  first  of  those  who  went  to  spy 
upon  the  northern  prophet  in  his  work — the 
scribe  Hannasi,  a  zealous,  conscientious 
man,  who  strove  to  keep  the  Law  exactly — 

73 


74       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

reached  Capernaum  the  very  day  that  Jesus 
came  again  from  wandering  in  the  high- 
lands of  his  native  Galilee.  The  morning 
after,  going  with  the  crowd,  he  found  that 
Jesus  made  his  home  with  one  called  Simon 
in  a  little  house  of  brick  and  wood  between 
the  market  and  the  lake.  Here,  early  as 
it  was,  the  prophet  sat  and  taught.  The 
room  was  full,  and  throngs  before  the  house 
were  waiting,  somewhat  noisily,  till  Jesus 
should  come  out. 

Hannasi  reached  the  open  door  at  length 
by  pressing  close  to  those  from  whom  he 
feared  defilement,  the  common  village  folk 
and  publicans,  and  thence,  on  looking  in, 
he  saw  the  man  of  whom  the  land  was  filled 
with  rumours.  Two  other  scribes  were 
there  already,  one  of  them  a  Pharisee,  and 
with  their  help  he  got  inside  the  door.  He 
did  not  hear  the  Master  many  minutes  un- 
disturbed. For  soon  a  heavy  noise  and 
voices  on  the  roof  drew  every  one's  atten- 
tion ;  and  as  a  large  unwieldy  object  swung 
out  free  above  the  little  court,  cutting  off 
the  light,  some  people  feared  the  house  was 
breaking  down  and  crowded  through  the 


WARNING  VOICES  75 

door  into  the  street.  This  left  more  space 
for  those  who  stayed,  to  see  what  then 
befell. 

Upon  a  peasant's  cot  let  down  by  ropes 
put  under  near  the  ends  and  firmly  held  by 
four  men  on  the  roof  there  lay  a  man  of 
middle  age,  silent  and  seeming  helpless. 
When  lowered  to  the  floor,  he  moved  his 
eyes  from  side  to  side,  and  slightly  too  his 
head,  until  he  saw  the  one  he  sought,  and 
then  his  eyes  were  fixed. 

Hannasi  and  the  others  with  him  watched 
intently  that  no  word  or  slightest  motion 
of  the  so-called  prophet  should  escape  them. 
When  Jesus  spoke  to  him  who  lay  upon  the 
pallet,  their  worst  opinion  of  him  grew  at 
once  tenfold  more  black,  for  plainly  he 
blasphemed.  He  told  the  man  what  only 
God  might  tell  him,  as  they  thought, — told 
him  that  his  sins  were  pardoned.  When 
Jesus  read  their  thoughts  upon  their  scowl- 
ing faces,  he  justified  his  word  of  pardon 
by  a  gracious  act  of  healing.  The  man 
arose,  took  up  his  pallet  from  the  floor,  and 
went  forth  to  the  street. 

The  crowd  were  taken  by  this  deed  of 


76       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Jesus,  and  said  the  like  had  not  been  seen  in 
Israel;  to  the  scribes,  however,  no  such  act, 
though  seeming  good,  could  hide  that  word 
of  blasphemy  which  he  had  spoken.  They 
straightway  left  the  house  in  holy  indigna- 
tion, and  Akiba,  the  Pharisee,  most  zealous 
of  the  group,  set  out  that  hour  to  carry  word 
to  those  who  ruled  in  Zion. 

Hannasi  tarried  yet  two  Sabbaths  in 
Capernaum,  and  had  his  thought  of  Jesus 
only  more  and  more  confirmed.  He  set  at 
naught  the  fasts  which  all  the  people  of  the 
law  held  sacred,  who  knew  and  cared  what 
ancient  men  had  taught, — the  fasts  upon 
the  second  day  and  fifth  of  every  week; 
but  worst  of  all  he  set  at  naught  the  holy 
Sabbath  day  itself,  which  Moses  had  or- 
dained for  an  everlasting  statute.  Hannasi 
saw  the  men  who  followed  Jesus  pluck 
heads  of  wheat  and  rub  it  in  their  hands 
upon  the  day  of  rest,  and  he  forbade  them 
not,  but  took  from  Peter's  hand  and  ate  the 
grain  himself.  But  rubbing  wheat  to  shell 
it  is  work,  the  scribes  maintained,  and  one 
who  works  upon  the  Sabbath  ought  to  die. 
And  when  he  charged  the  prophet  with  this 


WARNING  VOICES  J*] 

wicked  deed  of  his  disciples,  he  was  bold 
and  answered  him  as  though  he  thought  the 
Sabbath  day  itself  were  less  in  worth  than 
he,  yea,  less  in  worth  than  any  common  man. 
No  one  had  ever  uttered  such  presumptuous 
words  and  lived.  Hannasi  wondered  that 
no  sudden  stroke  of  judgment  fell  upon 
him,  as  when  the  earth  engulfed  the 
froward  sons  of  Aaron. 

Again,  the  following  Sabbath  and  even  in 
the  sacred  synagogue,  he  broke  the  Holy 
Law,  for  one  who  had  a  withered  hand  he 
healed.  There  was  no  need,  the  scribes  de- 
clared; this  man  could  well  have  waited  till 
the  holy  day  was  past.  But  Jesus  healed 
him  then  and  there,  as  though  to  make  it 
plain  to  all  that  he  regarded  not  what  every 
scribe  held  sacred.  It  seemed  to  them  that 
he  was  seeking  to  blot  out  what  all  their 
fathers  loved  and  cherished.  As  he  broke 
the  Sabbath  law,  of  all  their  laws  the  high- 
est and  the  holiest,  he  surely  would  not  stop 
at  any  other,  but  would  try  to  overturn  them 
all. 

That  day  they  formed  a  league  against 
him,  ten  of  them,  Herodians  and  Pharisees, 


78   JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

men  who  had  been  sharply  hostile  to  each 
other  until  a  common  peril  made  them  one. 
For  the  Herodians  held  Herod  for  a  lawful 
king,  sprung  from  Jewish  stock,  though  his 
mother  was  an  Idumean,  but  the  Pharisees 
spurned  him  as  a  Gentile.  These  men 
sought  henceforth  how  they  might  destroy 
Jesus  and  might  do  it  quickly.  Other  dan- 
gers which  they  saw  for  land  and  people 
were  as  naught  to  this  new  and  deadly  peril, 
they  said,  and  for  the  time  should  be  for- 
got. And  so  their  plan  was  made  to  watch 
his  words  and  deeds  for  evidence  against 
him,  to  challenge  his  authority  at  every 
step,  and  warn  the  people  not  to  heed  his 
teaching  on  pain  of  bitterest  penalties.  They 
all  agreed  that  Jesus  wrought  his  signs 
with  Satan's  aid,  to  blind  the  minds  of  men 
to  doctrines  which  would  quench  the  fire  of 
Israel's  hope  and  make  the  chosen  people 
one  with  all  the  godless  nations. 

In  search  of  facts  that  they  might  use  to 
gain  their  end,  Hannasi  left  the  lake,  the 
second  Sabbath  being  past,  and  travelled  up 
to  Nazareth.  He  found  the  rustic  home  of 
Jesus,  saw  his  brothers  at  their  lowly  toil, 


WARNING  VOICES  79 

and  questioned  them  about  his  work  and 
teaching.  They  seemed  not  proud  of  him, 
at  least  the  older  ones,  and  knew  but  little  of 
his  deeds.  Hannasi  told  what  he  had  lately 
seen  down  by  the  lake,  and  how  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  the  careful  guardians  of  the 
Law,  were  deeply  moved  and  fearful  lest 
the  judgment  threatened  to  false  prophets 
should  yet  come  down  on  Jesus  and  on  all 
his  house.  Perhaps  this  saying  stirred  the 
brothers  up — and  through  them  their 
mother — to  seek  for  Jesus  and  to  bring  him 
back  to  Nazareth  and  a  quiet  life.  Hannasi 
heard  of  their  attempt  to  do  this,  and  how 
they  said,  quite  openly,  they  thought  that 
Jesus  was  beside  himself,  his  head  turned 
by  what  had  come  to  him  at  Jordan,  when 
he  met  the  desert  preacher.  He  also  heard 
that  Nazareth,  the  very  people  who  had 
known  the  son  of  Joseph  from  a  child,  who 
knew  his  parents  and  his  family,  would  not 
listen  to  his  claim.  They  held  him  for  a 
carpenter  and  for  nothing  more.  For  when, 
one  time,  he  openly  declared,  within  their 
little  synagogue,  that  he  fulfilled  the  an- 
cient prophecies  of  one  on  whom  the  Spirit 


80       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

of  the  Lord  should  rest,  and  when  he  inti- 
mated that  his  townsmen  were  not  worthy 
of  him,  they  spurned  him  and  his  healing 
ministry. 

These  events,  of  which  Hannasi  heard, 
strongly  confirmed  his  judgment  of  the 
man,  and  made  him  still  more  hostile  to 
the  work  and  claim  of  Jesus.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Zion,  and  brought  before  the 
rulers  all  that  he  had  seen  and  heard. 

They  counselled  daily  how  to  break  the 
fatal  spell  which  Jesus  by  his  works  and 
words  had  cast  on  plain,  unlettered  men, 
and  how  to  end  his  life.  Hannasi  had  no 
doubt  that  Jesus  was  a  false  Messiah,  and 
would  at  length  be  crushed,  as  others  like 
him  had  been ;  and  yet  at  times  he  marvelled 
in  his  spirit  that  Beelzebub  should  do  so 
many  deeds  of  mercy.  Nor  could  he  under- 
stand the  face  of  Jesus,  which  sometimes 
haunted  him.  It  did  not  seem  to 
be  the  face  of  one  who  walked  in  dark- 
ness. But  these  thoughts,  when  they  arose 
within  him,  were  quickly  overcome  by  facts 
conspicuous  and  damning.  Jesus  had  blas- 
phemed and  had  boldly  set  the  Law  at 


WARNING  VOICES  8 1 

naught  in  many  other  points.  To  spread 
his  evil  doctrines  he  had  formed  a  band  of 
twelve  disciples,  who  daily  sought  to  turn 
the  multitudes  away  from  ancient  customs. 
Soon  all  godliness  would  be  destroyed 
among  the  people,  unless  this  peasant, 
strongly  aided  by  the  subtle  foe  of  truth, 
could  be  cast  down.  Therefore  Hannasi  and 
the  leaders  of  the  Jewish  Church,  thinking 
this  a  work  well  pleasing  unto  God,  sought 
the  death  of  Jesus,  and  they  did  not  seek  it 
long  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  SEVEN 


THE  GALILEAN  CRISIS 


CHAPTER   SEVEN 

THE  GALILEAN  CRISIS 

THE  fame  of  Jesus  had  at  length  been 
carried  to  the  utmost  bounds  of  Gali- 
lee. The  men  whom  he  had  chosen  and 
sent  out  to  be  swift  heralds  of  the  Kingdom, 
announcing  its  approach  by  word  and  deed, 
had  borne  their  message  from  the  lakeside 
to  the  north  and  west,  and  had  returned  to 
Capernaum,  as  Jesus  had  directed.  He  met 
them  there  in  Peter's  house,  and  heard  the 
story  of  their  work — where  they  by  twos 
had  been,  what  welcome  they  had  found, 
and  what  men  said  about  the  coming  King- 
dom and  its  King. 

Their  hearts  were  glad,  and  Jesus  felt 
their  joy.  He  saw  in  them  a  hope  of  better 
days,  and  in  their  work  a  promise  that  his 
Galilee,  though  many  of  its  sons  were  unre- 
sponsive, might  yet  become  the  basis  of  his 
Kingdom.    Jerusalem,  its  foes  and  unbelief 

85 


86       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

and  scorn,  was  far  away  and  far  beneath  this 
radiant  mount  of  vision  which  rose  upon  the 
trust  and  enthusiasm  of  his  young  disciples. 
These  untaught  peasants  who  had  walked 
with  him,  these  artisans  and  fishermen, 
had  now  begun  to  see  what  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  the  wise  and  understanding  of 
the  earth,  knew  not  and  could  not  know. 
And  Jesus  felt  new  gladness  in  his  mission, 
felt  a  wondrous  deepening  sense  of  power 
and  surer  confidence  that  he  within  him- 
self possessed  the  Kingdom  of  the  Father. 
To  share  that  heavenly  Kingdom  in  its 
strength  and  beauty,  one  needed  but  to  bear 
his  yoke;  and  some  about  him,  though  half 
in  ignorance  of  the  real  truth  at  work  upon 
them,  were  learning  this  great  secret. 

When  night  was  now  far  spent,  they 
wished  each  other  peace,  having  first  agreed 
upon  a  quiet  day  across  the  lake,  secure 
from  crowding,  clamorous  throngs,  for  this 
was  Jesus'  wish.  But  things  fell  out  far 
other  than  they  hoped. 

The  following  day  broke  fair,  and  earlier 
than  its  wont  the  town  was  all  astir  because 
its  famous  prophet  had  returned.    By  ones 


THE  GALILEAN  CRISIS  87 

and  twos,  from  Peter's  home  and  Zebedee's 
and  other  points,  the  little  band  of  hopeful 
men  sought  out  the  chosen  rendezvous  upon 
the  northernmost  and  least  frequented  pier. 
One  boat  took  all,  and  they  were  soon  afloat, 
but  not  unnoticed.  Word  passed  swiftly 
through  the  town  that  Jesus  had  gone  up  the 
shore,  his  twelve  with  him,  and  many  peo- 
ple started  off  at  once  along  the  highway, 
keeping  still  the  boat  in  eye. 

As  it  went,  the  throng  increased  from 
every  side — the  shore  was  densely  popu- 
lated— until  it  grew  a  long  and  motley  cav- 
alcade. Some  ran  ahead,  and  shouted  to 
the  boat  to  stop,  and  blessed  the  name  of 
Jesus.  Some  were  borne  on  litters,  sick 
who  hoped  for  healing  and  who  would  not 
lose  a  day,  yea,  nor  a  single  hour.  And 
bands  of  pilgrims  who  had  started  early  for 
Jerusalem,  coming  down  the  valley  from 
the  highlands,  fell  in  with  the  procession, 
and  lent  the  scene  the  colours  of  their  holi- 
day attire. 

When  past  the  entrance  of  the  Jordan  to 
the  lake  of  Galilee,  the  boat  was  plainly 
headed  for  the  shore  within  a  little  bay  be- 


88       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

low  Bcthsaida;  and  many,  seeing  this,  ran 
on  ahead  and  reached  the  landing  place  in 
time  to  welcome  Jesus.  The  boat  was 
drawn  up  on  the  beach,  and  Jesus,  giving  up 
the  plan  with  which  he  left  Capernaum, 
started  for  the  higher  ground  beyond  the 
city,  eastward.  There,  with  all  the  glory 
of  the  lake  and  shore  in  view  below,  he 
sat  and  taught  and  healed. 

The  day  at  last  was  waning,  but  the 
crowds,  especially  the  men,  stayed  on,  un- 
mindful of  the  hour.  They  asked  each 
other  if  the  Kingdom  were  at  hand.  The 
signs  which  had  been  wrought  upon  the  sick 
were  great,  they  said;  the  prophet's  chosen 
band  had  gone  through  Galilee,  proclaim- 
ing the  fulfilment  of  the  appointed  time; 
and  yet  he  raised  no  standard.  Yea,  and 
stranger  still,  he  said  no  word  about  a  King 
on  David's  throne,  no  word  of  thrusting  off 
the  shameful  Roman  yoke  and  making  Zion 
mistress  of  the  earth.  But  ever  of  the  heart 
he  spoke,  of  trust  in  God,  of  serving  one  an- 
other. The  stories  that  he  told  to  men  as 
well  as  women  were  not  of  deeds  of  valour 
on  the  battle-field,  not  tales  of  mighty  cap- 


THE  GALILEAN  CRISIS  89 

tains  who  won  against  great  odds,  nor  won- 
ders in  the  earth  and  air  wrought  by  the 
mysterious  Prince  and  Hero  for  whom  they 
longed;  no,  they  were  stories  of  lost  sheep 
and  mustard  seed,  of  tares  and  leaven  and 
nets,  of  beggars  and  Samaritans.  He 
wanted  men  to  follow  him,  and  yet  to  stay 
at  home,  and  do  their  work  as  hitherto,  and 
pay  their  tax,  and  let  the  Gentiles  rule. 
Was  this  because  he  feared  to  take  the  step 
they  wished  to  see  him  take?  Then  it  was 
theirs  to  act,  to  show  him  that  their  zeal  and 
strength  were  equal  to  the  need.  His  ban- 
ner as  Messiah  once  set  up,  all  Galilee 
would  rise  and  bear  it  on  to  victory.  So 
ran  the  tenor  of  their  blind  enthusiasm,  and 
the  excitement  grew  with  every  minute. 

The  sun  was  now  below  the  western 
mountains,  and  the  quiet  lake  was  all  aglow 
from  shining  clouds.  It  was  a  sight  to 
soothe  the  spirit,  blending  with  the  words 
of  Jesus.  But  there  upon  the  hillside  a 
mighty  passion  swayed  the  leaders  and 
many  others  in  the  great  throng.  It  was  no 
soft  and  peaceful  scene  that  met  the  eye  of 


90       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Jesus,  nor  was  it  one  to  make  him  glad  at 
heart. 

The  meaning  of  his  signs  had  been  mis- 
read. Not  him  and  his  high  message  of  the 
Father  did  this  excited  crowd  desire,  but 
only  what  his  arm  might  bring  of  earthly 
place  and  power. 

He  called  the  twelve  around  him,  and 
bade  them  take  the  boat  for  home;  and 
when  they  begged  to  stay  with  him,  for  they 
had  felt  the  electric  current  that  swept  the 
crowd,  he  spoke  insistently,  constraining 
them  to  go. 

Then  Jesus  turned  to  send  the  multitude 
away,  for  the  shadows  thickened  and  he  was 
weary  and  disappointed,  but  they  had  found 
a  leader  now,  and  crying,  "Hail!  King 
Messiah!"  they  thronged  about  him  with 
many  words  of  praise  and  hot  appeals  to 
Galilean  patriotism.  Their  counsel  was  to 
take  him  back  in  triumph  to  Capernaum. 
When  once  he  saw  their  loyalty,  they  fan- 
cied he  would  yield  to  them,  accept  a  crown, 
and  reign  with  mighty  power. 

So  poorly  did  they  know  him!  This 
counsel  of  their  hearts  was  only  evil  in  his 


THE  GALILEx^N  CRISIS  91 

sight,  a  counsel  long  since  faced  and  for- 
ever put  beneath  his  feet  when  he  was  in 
the  desert.  And  poorly  did  they  gauge  the 
strength  of  Jesus  in  thinking  they  could 
bend  his  will  to  theirs.  As  well  attempt  to 
turn  the  rushing  Jordan  back  upon  itself, 
or  lift  Mt.  Hermon  from  its  rocky  base! 

He  waived  them  off  in  silent  sorrow. 
When  their  eyes  met  his,  and  spirit  meas- 
ured spirit,  they  felt  their  helplessness.  No 
man  laid  hand  upon  him,  and  when  he 
sought  the  darkening  mountain,  no  one  fol- 
lowed far.  Slowly,  with  mutterings  of  dis- 
appointment and  of  scorn,  the  crowd  dis- 
persed, and  slowly  did  he  climb  the  rocky 
way  to  solitude.  Alone  there,  yet  not  alone, 
he  thought  upon  the  mournful  crisis  of  the 
day. 

These  people  plainly  wished  what  he 
could  never  give,  nay,  would  not  for  the 
very  love  he  bore  them;  and  what  to  him 
was  dear  beyond  all  price  was  naught  to 
them.  They  turned  away.  And  would  his 
chosen  ones  be  strong  enough  to  stand  alone 
and  face  an  ebbing  tide?  The  future  of  his 
Kingdom  hinged  on  that;  and  so  his  thought 


92        JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

and  care  must  be  henceforth  for  them,  to 
mould  their  cherished  dream  into  a  form 
more  worthy  of  their  God. 

Thus  meditating,  as  he  looked  below,  he 
saw  his  band  still  on  the  lake — the  moon 
was  nearly  full — and  they  were  struggling 
against  the  wind,  hard  in  upon  the  northern 
shore.  He  ended  then  his  solitary  vigil,  and 
went  to  their  relief.  His  earthly  hope  was 
in  the  little  boat  upon  the  tossing,  white- 
capped  waves. 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 


THE  KINGDOM  ESTABLISHED 


CHAPTER   EIGHT 

THE  KINGDOM  ESTABLISHED 

A  MONTH  went  by,  and  we  behold  a 
different  scene.  The  place  is  still — 
the  lower  eastern  shore  of  the  Lake  of  Gali- 
lee across  from  Kedesh,  two  hours'  walk 
from  the  Jordan.  A  boat  is  drawn  upon 
the  beach,  and  near  it,  by  a  clump  of  olean- 
der bushes,  Jesus  sits  with  those  few  men 
whose  hearts  he  seeks  to  bind  unto  himself 
with  bonds  so  strong  that  they  will  hold 
through  any  storm. 

The  summer  day  had  passed  with  quiet 
talk,  as  many  other  days  since  Jesus  with 
the  twelve,  his  public  ministry  in  Galilee 
being  ended,  had  gone  across  the  border  of 
the  Gentiles,  far  northward  from  the  Tyrian 
Stairs  and  even  to  the  region  of  Sidon.  In 
all  that  walk  along  the  western  sea,  and 
later  over  mountain  roads  remote  and  wild, 
his  daily  thought  had  been  to  breathe  his 

95 


96       JESUS   FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

spirit  into  those  who  journeyed  with  him. 
Serving  them  in  little  ways,  knitting  them 
together,  teaching  them  from  wayside  texts 
how  near  the  Father  is,  how  merciful  and 
kind,  he  sowed  their  minds  broadcast  with 
seed  that  he  had  garnered  up  through  years 
of  earnest  thought  and  life  in  ever  deepen- 
ing fellowship  with  God. 

And  so  the  summer  day  had  come  and 
nearly  gone  beside  the  dear  familiar  lake. 
At  length  the  sound  of  oars  was  heard,  and 
soon  a  boat,  approaching  from  the  west,  was 
dragged  ashore  near  that  of  Jesus  and  the 
twelve.  The  men  it  brought  were  foes  to 
Jesus,  sent  out  to  get  fresh  proof  by  which 
the  sanhedrin  might  cast  him  down  to 
death. 

"Peace  be  to  you,"  the  leader  said,  and 
Jesus  answered,  "Peace  to  you."  Then 
asked  he  what  they  sought  of  him.  To  this 
the  leader  of  the  band  replied,  "We  seek 
a  sign  on  which  our  faith  may  rest  secure. 
If  thou  art  he  who  comes  to  rule  in  Zion, 
the  one  our  fathers  hoped  for,  then  show  a 
sign,  and  leave  us  not  in  doubt." 

But  Jesus  knew  this  ready  plea  for  signs, 


THE   KINGDOM   ESTABLISHED  97 

and  knew  the  men  who  made  it,  zealous 
for  the  Law  indeed,  yet  blind  toward  God. 
He  saw  beneath  the  plea,  deep  in  the  eyes 
of  those  who  stood  before  him,  a  glowing 
fire  of  hate  whose  flame  would  some  time 
smite  him  to  the  earth — he  saw  it,  but  he 
trembled  not.  "Why  seek  a  sign,"  he  said, 
"yet  scorn  the  many  signs  that  I  have 
given  already,  the  mighty  works  of  mercy 
wrought  among  you?  My  God  will  never 
give  the  sign  you  seek  because  your  hearts 
are  turned  away  from  him  and  set  on  evil. 
But  yet  the  day  will  come  when  they  who 
face  the  light  with  pure  desire  shall  see  a 
sign  in  my  appearance  like  the  sign  of 
Jonah." 

Having  uttered  this  dark  word,  he  bade 
his  friends  embark — the  hour  was  late — 
and  while  their  boat  moved  off  the  men  on 
shore  threw  after  Jesus  many  an  angry 
threat  and  scornful  taunt.  The  darkness 
was  now  settling  fast  upon  the  lake,  and 
Jesus  and  his  little  band  were  hushed  with 
solemn  thoughts.  They  saw  his  way  grow 
perilous  and  lone  from  day  to  day.  The 
ardor  of  the  North  had  cooled  since  Jesus 


98       JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

utterly  refused  to  wear  a  crown;  the  bit- 
terness of  those  who  ruled  in  Judah  and 
Jerusalem,  as  had  been  seen  just  now  be- 
side the  lake,  had  grown  more  deep  and 
active.  Peter  and  the  others  faced  the  com- 
ing days  with  many  anxious  questionings 
and  fears.  They  thought  within  them- 
selves, "Perhaps  we  had  done  better  with 
our  nets,  our  figs,  and  olives,  on  our  little 
farms,  than  following  these  old  visions  of 
a  coming  King  who  never  comes,  these 
dreams  our  fathers  dreamed." 

But  Jesus  knew  their  mood:  he  felt  their 
lightest  doubt.  He  saw  all  they  could  see 
or  dimly  feel,  and  more.  He  saw  the 
wreckage  of  their  dearest  hopes  cast  up 
along  the  fearful  shore  of  death.  He  saw 
beyond  that  shore  a  brightening  sky  above 
a  new-born  earth.  These  friends  of  his 
should  walk  that  earth,  and  see  that  bright- 
ening sky,  and  gather  even  from  that  fear- 
ful shore  of  death  the  blossoms  of  a  purer 
hope,  a  larger  and  a  sweeter  faith,  than  they 
had  lost.  He  saw,  and  from  the  vision  he 
distilled  a  tender  word  of  comfort,  courage, 
cheer,  and  suited  it  to  each  disciple's  need. 


THE   KINGDOM   ESTABLISHED  99 

Around  them,  close  and  ever  closer,  for  the 
chill  and  fear  of  all  their  earthly  night, 
he  drew  the  mantle  of  his  Father's  love. 

At  last  they  came  to  shore  in  Peter's 
town,  and  parted  for  the  night.  But  Jesus 
would  not  tarry  here  again;  his  work  in 
street  and  synagogue,  and  in  the  wider  field 
of  Galilee,  was  done.  And  so  when  morn- 
ing came  he  left  the  town,  and  with  the 
twelve  set  off  for  Merom  and  the  north,  to 
be  alone  with  them.  He  must  disclose  the 
fate  he  saw  awaiting  him,  but  not  until  his 
friends  were  strong  enough  to  hear  without 
surrender  of  their  confidence  in  him. 

At  times  the  twelve  had  thought  him  the 
Messiah  of  their  own  long  hopes,  and  had 
looked  from  day  to  day  to  see  him  mani- 
fest himself  as  King  by  some  stupendous 
act  and  open  proclamation.  In  this  belief 
they  went  through  Galilee,  and  preached 
and  healed  with  power.  But  now,  by  slow 
degrees,  as  they  had  walked  more  quietly 
with  Jesus,  a  change  had  come  upon  them. 
Their  dream  of  earthly  glory  had  faded 
somewhat,  while  in  the  foreground  of  their 
thought  a  mystery  of  suffering  had  arisen, 


IOO     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

vague  and  indistinct  and  dreadful.  Their 
hope  indeed  still  lived  within  their  hearts, 
but  ere  it  could  be  realised,  their  Master 
and  perhaps  themselves  must  meet  they 
knew  not  what  of  shame  and  loss.  They 
shrank  from  knowing. 

Jesus  saw  this  change  come  over  his  dis- 
ciples, and  in  it  saw  a  ground  of  hope.  He 
had  not  asked  to  see  the  secrets  of  their 
hearts:  he  had  not  ever  in  the  slightest 
measure  sought  to  force  their  confidence. 
His  own  ideal  of  the  heavenly  Kingdom 
he  had  lived  out  among  them  day  by  day, 
and  waited  for  its  charm  to  touch  and 
mould  their  spirits  and  to  beget  in  them  a 
deathless  love  like  that  which  filled  his  life. 

He  saw  that  Judas  lagged  behind  the 
rest,  that  he  still  held  unchanged  his  Mes- 
sianic hope,  and  now  was  more  confused 
than  they  by  what  was  taking  place.  But 
yet  he  sought  to  win  and  hold  the  heart  of 
Judas  too,  and  carry  him  along  at  last  to 
his  own  higher  thought. 

Thus  they  journeyed  slowly  on,  now  rec- 
ognised and  greeted,  now  besought  to  come 


THE    KINGDOM    ESTABLISHED  IOI 

aside  and  heal,  but  yielding  not  to  such  re- 
quests. 

The  second  day  they  came  to  Dan,  and 
lodged  with  one  whose  only  son  had  been 
restored  to  health  by  Jesus  on  his  early  tour 
through  northern  Galilee.  Then  onward 
past  the  splendid  home  of  Philip  with  its 
heathen  shrines  of  costly  marble,  and  up 
a  valley  northward  through  the  foothills  of 
Mt.  Hermon. 

Resting  by  the  wayside  when  the  sun  was 
highest,  where  a  brook  and  shade  invited, 
Jesus  blessed  their  humble  fare,  as  he  was 
wont  to  do,  and  afterward  in  frank  disclo- 
sure of  his  inmost  thought  he  talked  about 
the  Kingdom  and  their  common  needs.  He 
felt  that  they  were  nearer  drawn  to  him 
than  they  had  ever  been,  that  he  himself 
was  more  to  them — at  least  to  some  of  them 
— than  their  old  hope  of  earthly  glory,  and 
so  he  led  them  on  to  face  the  vital  question. 

He  asked  what  others  thought  of  him  and 
of  his  work;  and  answers  various  by  various 
ones  were  given,  but  all  to  him  were  hol- 
low, disappointing  words.  For  some  said 
he  was  John  the  Baptist  come  to  life,  others 


102     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Elijah,  or  at  least  some  ancient  prophet. 
Thus  all,  or  all  who  spoke  their  thought  of 
him,  had  failed  to  see  him  as  he  was,  had 
failed  to  grasp  the  message  that  he  brought. 
The  people  waited  still  for  one  to  come,  one 
greater  far  than  Jesus,  because  a  kingdom 
of  this  world  was  their  desire,  a  Gospel  of 
triumphant  force  and  ease  for  Israel  alone. 
Such  was  the  judgment  of  the  crowd,  re- 
ported by  the  men  whose  very  presence  here 
among  the  mountains  was  proof  that  they 
felt  something  when  with  Jesus  which  the 
crowd  felt  not.  Then  the  Master,  with  a 
longing  in  his  spirit  deep  as  life  itself,  said 
to  the  twelve,  "But  ye,  who  say  ye  that  I 
am?"  And  quick  the  answer  came  "Mes- 
siah!" Lips  of  one,  but  eyes  of  more  than 
one  declared  it;  and  the  wells  of  joy  within 
the  heart  of  Jesus  overflowed.  Mt.  Her- 
mon  shouted  to  the  highest  sky  "Messiah!" 
All  the  listening  hills  re-echoed  it.  The 
birds  broke  forth  in  wondrous  song.  The 
banners  of  a  myriad  trees  were  waved  in 
exultation.  Far  away  across  the  heights  of 
Galilee  and  Judah  fell  the  splendour  of 
another  and  a  better  day,  whose  secret  Jesus 


THE   KINGDOM   ESTABLISHED  103 

saw  within  the  eyes  of  those  before  him. 
He  knew  the  answer  was  of  God  and  felt 
at  last  a  rock  beneath  his  feet. 

This  loyalty  to  him  at  sacrifice  of  former 
hopes,  this  loyalty  to  one  whom  men  on 
every  side  rejected,  and  on  whose  lonely 
way  the  hate  of  scribe  and  priest  and  Phari- 
see was  casting  ever  thickening  gloom — for 
this  he  thanked  his  God,  in  this  he  saw  what 
should  survive  the  overwhelming  flood  of 
woe  now  swiftly  drawing  near;  and,  firmly 
set  on  this  divine  and  living  base,  he  felt 
that  he  should  build  a  Kingdom  that  could 
not  be  moved. 

This  was  the  day  and  hour  when  Jesus 
felt  it  safe  to  tell  his  friends  the  worst,  and 
teach  them  how  to  face  with  him  the  total 
seeming  wreck  of  all  his  toil. 


Chapter  nine 
the  darkening  way 


CHAPTER  NINE 

THE  DARKENING  WAY 

FACING  ever  southward  with  Jeru- 
salem in  view  and  the  paschal  feast, 
which  now  was  drawing  near,  Jesus  and  his 
little  band  had  reached  the  eastern  slope  of 
Tabor,  and  had  halted  for  the  night.  They 
might  have  planned  to  lodge  somewhere 
with  friends,  but  Jesus  wished  to  pass 
through  Galilee  as  far  as  possible  unseen. 
They  sought  therefore  a  sheltered  spot 
above  the  road,  beneath  a  canopy  of  oak, 
and  where  they  had  a  view  across  Es- 
draelon,  far  and  wide. 

Their  evening  meal  and  food  for  coming 
days,  with  modest  store  of  money,  they  had 
brought  from  Zebedee's  and  other  friendly 
homes  beside  the  lake  where  they  had  spent 
the  night  before.  And  some  of  the  disci- 
ples still  felt  the  sting  of  that  rebuke  which 
then  had  overtaken  their  proud  dispute  on 
107 


108     JESUS  FOR  THE   MEN  OF  TODAY 

rank  among  themselves,  and  some  were 
touched  more  deeply  that  the  Master 
seemed  to  make  no  difference  between  his 
chosen  few  and  that  man,  all  unknown,  who 
boldly  used  his  name  in  works  of  mercy. 
These  things  had  made  the  band  more  silent 
than  was  their  wont.  The  thought  of  Jesus 
crossed  their  own  confusingly  and  often. 

Two  Sabbaths  now  had  passed  since,  in 
the  highlands  of  the  Jordan,  Jesus  had  be- 
gun to  teach  the  twelve  about  his  fate,  and 
each  day's  journey  toward  Judah  made  yet 
deeper  their  amazement  and  their  fear.  As 
children  they  had  learned  that  their  Mes- 
siah would  abide  in  glory  upon  the  throne 
of  David.  This  the  rabbis  long  had  taught 
in  Israel.  Their  King  must  live  and  reign 
through  many  years — hundreds  or  perhaps 
thousands — reign  till  all  the  earth  save  Gog 
in  Magog  on  the  farthest  borders  should 
own  his  sway  and  bring  his  people  richest 
gifts.  And  then,  the  last  and  bitterest  foes 
o'erthrown,  the  earth  renewed  by  God 
should  be  the  home  of  Israel  and  his  King 
through  all  the  coming  age.  Had  not  an- 
cient saints  and  prophets  looked  for  such  a 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  109 

consummation  in  the  end?  Their  King 
should  rule  among  his  enemies;  his  throne 
should  stand  forever,  and  his  Kingdom  be 
a  Kingdom  everlasting.  So  had  they  read 
within  their  holy  word  itself;  their  fathers 
too  had  died  in  this  belief. 

But  what  is  this  they  hear  from  Jesus? 
He  must  be  rejected  by  his  own  and  put  to 
death!  Slain,  and  yet  Messiah!  Slain,  yet 
King  forever!  Who  can  bear  such  contra- 
dictions? What  may  be  the  throne  of  one 
rejected?  What  the  royal  reign  of  one 
whom  men  have  put  to  death? 

They  reasoned  thus,  and  brooded  many 
an  hour  in  silence  o'er  the  Master's  word. 
Amazed,  bewildered,  apprehensive,  day 
by  day  they  followed  on,  constrained  by 
love  and  by  the  little  gleam  of  light  that 
seemed  to  lie  beside  the  dreadful  thought 
of  death.  They  could  not  tell  what  Jesus 
meant  by  "rising  from  the  dead,"  and  yet 
the  word  seemed  hopeful.  Once,  moreover, 
they  had  heard  him  speak  of  coming  in  the 
Father's  glory,  and  this  vague  saying  gave 
them  comfort  as  they  pondered  sadly  on  the 
days  to  be.     In  some  mysterious  way,  per- 


IIO     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

haps  through  awful  darkness,  they  might 
reach  the  light,  and  all  the  dear  old  dream 
of  Israel's  heart  be  realised  at  last.  But 
dim  and  vague  this  gleam  of  hope  appeared 
beyond  the  heavy  shadows.  Jesus  read  their 
sore  confusion  in  their  eyes  and  tones,  and 
with  unwearied  patience  strove  to  keep 
their  trust  and  stay  their  minds  on  God. 

That  night  on  Tabor,  when  their  meal 
was  ended,  they  looked  together  out  across 
the  ancient  battlefield  where  Israel  had  lost 
and  won  in  days  long  past,  and  far  beyond 
it  saw  the  light  go  out  along  the  western 
sky.  The  sea  wind  rose  and  murmured 
through  the  branches  overhead;  and,  wear- 
ied, all  but  Jesus  early  fell  asleep.  He 
watched,  and  prayed  for  strength,  and 
thought  of  Nazareth,  which  he  had  now 
left  behind  forever.  But  tender  longings 
and  regrets  soon  lost  themselves  in  the  deep 
confidence  that  from  his  darkening  way  a 
light  would  break  at  last  upon  the  eyes  of 
dear  ones  in  the  old  familiar  town,  yea,  and 
upon  the  eyes  of  many  in  the  land  who  now 
regarded  him  with  bitter  scorn  and  hate,  a 
light  moreover  that  should  spread  and  grow 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  III 

on  earth  forever  because  it  lights  the  holy 
path  between  the  Father  and  his  wandering 
children. 

The  morrow  brought  to  the  disciples 
fresh  proof  that  their  old  dreams  of  Mes- 
sianic triumph  must  be  revised  if  they  were 
still  to  look  to  Jesus  as  the  man  to  change 
these  dreams  to  firm  realities.  For,  gazing 
back  upon  Gennesaret,  as  they  reached  a 
height  from  which  the  eye  ranged  far  away 
to  northward  up  the  Jordan  valley,  Jesus 
uttered  words  of  condemnation  on  those 
towns  which,  having  seen  his  signs  and 
heard  his  message,  had  not  cared  to  heed 
it.  And  thus  he  owned  the  failure  of  his 
work  for  them,  from  which  event  his  fol- 
lowers might  infer  what  they  had  ground 
to  hope  from  any  work  that  he  might  do  in 
hostile  Judah. 

Later,  when  his  messengers  brought  word 
that  they  could  find  no  lodging  for  him  in 
the  neighbouring  village  of  Samaria,  and 
craved  his  sanction  to  destroy  the  town  with 
fire  from  heaven,  he  refused.  Instead  of 
taking  vengeance  on  these  surly  foes  of 
Israel,  he  turned  upon  his  messengers  with 


112     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

words  of  sad  rebuke.  Was  his  the  spirit  of 
Elijah,  to  burn  his  foes  and  call  the  act 
God's  judgment  on  them?  And  could  the 
Father's  Kingdom  ever  be  built  up  by  those 
who  answered  hate  with  hate?  Alas,  that 
his  near  friends  should  for  an  instant  think 
that  he  could  stoop  to  such  a  loveless  deed! 

Rejected  thus  upon  the  border  of  Sa- 
maria, Jesus  and  his  little  band  went  down 
to  Jordan  and  journeyed  thence  through 
Gilead.  And  here,  as  he  had  done  before 
in  Galilee,  he  walked  from  place  to  place, 
and  taught  men  of  the  Father.  The  note  of 
urgency  in  what  he  said  was  even  stronger 
now  than  in  the  earlier  days.  The  yearning 
of  his  heart  to  touch  the  hidden  springs  in 
man  by  which  the  life  is  turned  to  God 
seemed  deeper  and  more  tender. 

Spring's  first  touch  was  seen  along  the 
wayside  as  they  came  to  Jabesh  Gilead. 
Pomegranates  had  begun  to  show  their  scar- 
let buds,  anemones  and  violets  of  divers 
hues  were  scattered  over  every  sunny  bank. 
The  fields  of  early  wheat  were  green  and 
beautiful. 

Two  days  had  Jesus  spent  in  Jabesh,  and 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  113 

now  upon  the  morning  of  the  third  he  sat 
beneath  the  palms  outside  the  town,  and 
taught  a  little  company  that  gathered  with 
the  twelve.  His  plan  to  go  that  morning  as 
far  as  Pella  all  the  village  knew;  and  when 
at  last  he  arose  and  spoke  a  blessing  on  his 
hearers,  and  started  with  the  twelve,  a 
group  of  mothers  timidly  approached,  and 
begged  that  he  would  lay  his  hands  upon 
their  little  ones  in  prayer.  His  face  and 
way  and  words  had  made  them  feel  that 
he  was  nearer  God  than  they.  His  blessing 
then  might  shield  their  children  in  the  day 
of  evil,  or  even  make  them  good  and  great. 
A  chance  like  this  would  surely  never  come 
to  them  again,  and  eagerly  they  craved  the 
boon. 

It  seemed  to  some  of  Jesus'  friends  a  thing 
too  slight  to  stop  their  Master  and  them- 
selves, and  they  presumed  to  waive  the  sup- 
pliants back.  So  little  did  they  feel  as  Jesus 
felt,  or  think  as  Jesus  thought!  It  had  not 
pained  him  more  to  burn  the  town  that 
turned  him  from  its  gate  at  night,  refusing 
shelter,  than  here  deny  the  sweet  petition 
of  these  mother-hearts.    No  man  or  woman 


114     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

yet  had  asked  of  him  what  he  would  give 
so  gladly.  To  turn  away  this  prayer,  and 
let  the  mothers  take  their  children  home 
unblessed — these  little  ones  with  fresh  re- 
ceptive souls — would  mar  each  word  of 
love  he  ever  spoke  and  hide  from  him  the 
face  of  God. 

And  so  beside  the  palms  of  Jabesh,  in  the 
fragrance  of  the  morning,  Jesus  let  the 
mothers  put  their  children  in  his  arms,  and 
with  deep  emotion,  calling  each  by  name, 
he  blessed  them,  claimed  them  for  his 
Kingdom,  and  departed. 

Then  the  scarlet  deepened  on  the  buds 
of  the  pomegranates,  and  the  tide  of  life 
rose  higher  on  the  hills  and  in  the  meadows. 

Jesus  came  that  day  to  Pella  near  the 
Jordan,  passed  the  following  night,  and  in 
the  morning  purchased  food  by  him  who 
bore  the  purse,  to  take  upon  the  further 
journey — dates  and  nuts,  wheaten  bread, 
and  fish  from  Galilee. 

When  ready  to  resume  their  march,  they 
saw  two  Pharisees  approaching  from  the 
north  with  rapid  steps,  who,  after  friendly 
greeting  given,  said  they  came  from  Herod's 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  115 

capital,  Tiberias.  They  knew  a  man  at 
court,  they  said,  one  whom  the  king  kept 
near  himself,  with  whom  he  counselled 
daily  on  affairs  of  state.  This  friend  had 
spoken  words  which  brought  them  thither 
with  all  haste.  "The  king,"  said  they,  "has 
heard  much  evil  of  thee,  Rabbi,  and  seeks 
thy  death.  He  will  not  longer  harbour  in 
his  realm  one  whom  Jerusalem  is  eager  to 
destroy.  He  much  misjudges  thee,  we 
know,  believing  all  thy  foes  have  said;  but 
flee,  we  pray,  from  his  domain,  and  save 
thy  life.  We  fear  his  messengers  may  come 
at  once,  this  very  day:  therefore,  escape." 
Then  some  of  the  disciples,  fearing  for 
their  Master,  wished  that  he  would  heed 
this  kindly  word,  but  wondered  whither 
they  could  go  for  safety.  But  Jesus  had  no 
fear.  He  knew  his  work  was  not  yet  wholly 
done,  and  felt  that  yonder  in  Jerusalem  the 
end  must  be,  not  here  by  Jordan.  No  force 
or  craft  of  Herod  could  abridge  the  few 
remaining  days  he  had  in  which  to  serve 
his  fellow-men.  And  saying  this  he  jour- 
neyed slowly  down  the  river  with  the 
twelve,  and  came  at  night  to  Succoth,  near 


Il6  JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

the  Jabbok,  where  the  lofty  mountain  wall 
is  broken  on  the  east.  Up  that  defile  and 
out  upon  the  boundless  table-land  beyond 
the  reach  of  Herod  and  the  Jews  it  had 
been  easy  for  the  Lord  to  flee  with  those 
who  loved  him  best;  and  there  in  some  se- 
cluded spot  to  live  and  teach  the  things  of 
God  through  many  years,  and  gather  to 
himself  at  length  a  multitude  of  followers, 
and  reign.  But  such  a  thought,  if  it  arose, 
was  quickly  put  away — a  lure  of  Satan,  not 
a  voice  from  God. 

Then  they  journeyed  on  from  Succoth 
southward,  and  slept  where  night  o'ertook 
them,  near  the  ford  of  Jordan,  east  from 
Jericho.  They  had  no  shelter  save  the 
olive  branches  overhead,  no  couches  but  the 
grass;  yet  straitness  of  this  kind  they  well 
had  borne,  young  men  and  hardy  as  they 
were,  had  not  their  spirits  felt  the  chill  of 
coming  days.  This  lengthened  out  the 
night  and  made  their  loneliness  more  lonely 
still. 

But  when  the  morning  came,  and  Jesus, 
Strong  and  hopeful,  blessed  the  bread,  they 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  117 

lifted  up  their  heads  again,  and  tried  to 
think  their  fears  were  much  too  dark. 

And  here,  eight  days  before  the  paschal 
feast,  they  joined  the  pilgrim  caravan  from 
Galilee.  Loud  shouts  arose  when  it  was 
known  that  Jesus  was  among  them.  For 
strange  though  Jesus  seemed,  and  no  Mes- 
siah in  the  eyes  of  most  who  sought  the 
feast,  his  Galileans  held  him  still  a  man  of 
wondrous  power,  who  did  great  honour  to 
their  name. 

Jesus  saw  his  mother  and  Salome,  walked 
with  them  and  talked  of  many  things,  while, 
scattered  here  and  there  along  the  line,  the 
twelve  found  other  friends  and  eager  audi- 
ence for  all  they  had  to  say  of  Jesus.  As 
they  went  on,  Salome  with  her  sons,  when 
parted  now  a  little  space  from  others,  asked 
the  Master  for  a  boon.  She  knew  her  sons 
were  near  to  him — none  other  of  the  twelve 
as  near  save  Peter,  and  him  she  thought  less 
fitted  than  her  sons  to  serve  in  highest  places 
of  the  Kingdom  soon  to  be.  Hence  she 
sought  for  them  the  seats  of  honour  in  that 
Kingdom,  the  posts  of  highest  influence  and 
richest  gain,  though  she  knew  that  Jesus 


Il8     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

had  refused  a  crown  and  did  not  speak  of 
royal  state.  Her  sons  by  eager  looks  made 
this  request  their  own.  Yet  they  had  heard 
the  Master  say  that  he  must  die;  that  they 
who  followed  him  must  bear  the  cross  and 
suffer  persecution;  yes,  and  that  his  King- 
dom was  within  the  heart.  All  this  they 
knew;  and  yet  so  strong  the  ancient  hope 
within  their  bosoms,  so  vague  their  appre- 
hension of  the  Master's  thought,  that  they 
could  ask  of  him  this  earthly  boon,  and 
think  that  he  would  give  them  outward  rule 
over  their  fellow-men  and  even  over  their 
brothers  in  the  inner  circle  of  the  Master's 
chosen  band! 

With  love  and  sorrow  in  his  voice  Jesus 
told  them  that  along  his  way — a  way  they 
did  not  understand  as  yet — their  feet  should 
walk  indeed;  but  God,  not  he,  must  give 
the  seats  of  honour  in  the  Kingdom  of  the 
future.  Of  this,  however,  let  them  be  as- 
sured, that  the  highest  seats  should  be  for 
those  who  gave  their  lives  to  service  in  com- 
pletest  love.  Thus  he  answered  their  re- 
quest. 

Passing  splendid  villas  set  in  palms,  the 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  119 

pilgrims  came  to  Jericho,  and  many  people 
thronged  the  streets  to  see  the  joyous  caval- 
cade of  rustic  Galileans,  and  notably  to  see 
the  prophet  Jesus,  for  they  had  heard  that 
he  was  in  the  crowd. 

That  night  he  lodged  with  one  of  Caesar's 
servants,  one  of  those  who  were  despised  by 
all  who  held  themselves  for  upright  pious 
Jews.  And  some  who  saw  where  he  had 
gone  to  lodge  declared  it  was  a  shame  for 
him  to  lower  himself  and  all  his  friends  by 
lodging  with  a  renegade,  a  Jew  who  was 
no  Jew,  but  worse  than  Gentile  dogs.  If 
he  would  only  pay  respect,  they  said,  to 
what  the  best  in  Israel  thought  fit  and  right, 
he  might  have  any  place  of  power  he 
wished. 

But  Jesus  heeded  not  this  murmuring. 
The  man  of  whom  he  asked  a  lodging  was 
the  first,  if  not  the  only  one,  he  saw  in 
Jericho  who  really  wanted  him  as  guest. 
To  him,  therefore,  he  went  with  joy,  ful- 
filling thus  his  holy  work.  And  so  it  came 
about  that  he  who  was  anointed  to  be  the 
(King  of  Kings,  to  have  a  throne  more  last- 
ing far  and  glorious  than  that  in  Rome  on 


120     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

which  Tiberius  sat,  went,  a  lowly  pilgrim, 
and  slept  beneath  the  roof  of  one  of  Rome's 
most  petty  officers! 

The  Sabbath  rest  was  kept  by  Jesus  and 
his  friends  in  Jericho  with  worship  in  the 
synagogue,  and  talk  of  what  had  been  there 
in  the  days  of  yore;  how  Joshua  had  kept 
the  feast  upon  those  plains,  and  how  he  took 
the  city  and  the  land  because  he  knew  that 
God  was  with  him.  And  Jesus  said  in  quiet 
tones  of  perfect  confidence,  "God  is  with  us 
also."  And  when  he  spoke  of  God  as  with 
them  there,  to  give  them  conquests  greater 
than  their  fathers  ever  made,  albeit  not  by 
force  of  arms,  a  sense  of  awe  filled  all  their 
hearts,  and  the  place  was  holy,  as  the  angel 
prince  told  Joshua  when  he  bade  him  loose 
the  sandals  from  his  feet. 

The  Sabbath  being  past,  the  travellers  re- 
sumed their  march  with  psalms  of  praise 
and  gladness.  Jesus  and  the  twelve  were 
early  on  the  way,  among  the  first,  and  kept 
their  place  through  all  the  long  ascent. 
With  them  a  company  of  nearer  friends 
were  joined,  of  whom  the  most  were  fearful 
what  the  day  might  bring.     They  wished 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  121 

the  Master  would  not  go  among  his  bitter 
foes.  They  said  this  to  the  twelve,  but  not 
to  Jesus,  for  they  dared  not  seek  to  turn  him 
from  his  course. 

Sometimes  he  strode  ahead,  as  though  in 
haste  to  reach  the  goal,  as  though  Jerusalem 
were  full  of  loyal  friends  who  waited  for 
his  coming  with  a  joyful  welcome.  When 
he  saw  a  look  of  wonder  and  amazement  on 
the  faces  of  the  twelve,  he  took  them  from 
the  rest  apart,  and  told  them  plainly  what 
the  end  would  be,  as  he  had  done  before 
in  the  last  weeks.  But  still  his  words  were 
strange  to  them  and  vague.  They  feared 
indeed  some  dreadful  hour  of  pain  and 
shame  might  come  to  him  they  loved,  but 
more  than  this  they  could  not  think  the 
Lord's  anointed  would  be  called  to  meet. 

They  rounded  Olivet  toward  dusk  and 
came  to  Bethphage.  Beyond  this  town  a 
little  space,  where  burst  upon  the  traveller 
all  the  pride  of  Zion — all  the  hundred  mas- 
sive towers  on  her  walls,  all  the  stately 
marble  palaces,  and  higher  still  the  house 
of  God  with  golden  roof  that  shone  afar — 
Jesus  saw  a  festal  throng  ascending  from  the 


122     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Kedron  vale.  He  saw  the  waving  green, 
he  heard  the  distant  notes  of  joy,  and  knew 
at  once  the  meaning  of  the  scene. 

These  people,  mainly  Galileans  and  in- 
formed of  his  approach  by  some  of  the  cara- 
van who  had  hastened  on  with  all  speed 
instead  of  stopping  with  the  rest  in  Jericho, 
had  now  come  out  to  welcome  him  as  King, 
as  that  great  son  of  David  who  would  get 
them  liberty  and  ease  and  wide  renown. 
Their  King  indeed  he  knew  himself  to  be, 
though  other  than  they  fancied,  and  he  at 
once  resolved  to  yield  him  to  the  welcom- 
ing throng,  yet  in  such  wise  that  they  might 
not  mistake  the  kingship  which  he  sought. 
He  sent  therefore  to  Bethphage  for  an  ass 
that  he  had  seen  but  just  before.  When 
this  arrived  where  Jesus  stood,  the  first  of 
those  who  came  with  branches  reached  the 
crest,  and  straightway  cast  their  outer  gar- 
ments on  the  foal  which  Peter  held. 

When  Jesus  mounted  and  set  forth,  the 
fiery  Galilean  leaders  being  in  the  van  and 
then  the  twelve,  a  mighty  shout  of  joy  went 
up  that  echoed  from  the  temple  walls  across 
the  vale,  and  down  the  slope  of  Olivet  was 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  1 23 

still  prolonged  by  those  who  had  not  reached 
the  top.  Many  hailed  him  "Son  of  David" 
as  he  meekly  rode  along;  some  strewed  his 
way  with  palms,  or  even  in  delirium  of  joy 
cast  off  their  garments  on  the  path  before 
him.  They  fondly  thought  their  ancient 
dream  was  soon  to  be  fulfilled.  With  songs 
and  shouts  and  salutations  moved  the  long 
procession  down  the  winding  way. 

The  twelve  were  swept  along  to  thoughts 
of  earthly  glory  with  the  noisy  crowd.  At 
times  the  word  which  Jesus  oft  of  late  had 
spoken  came  to  mind,  and  then  this  scene 
of  joyful  welcome  grew  dark  from  fear  of 
coming  ill.  They  wondered  more  than  ever 
at  the  man  who  rode  there  silent,  calm  in 
midst  of  wild  acclaims,  his  face  more  sad 
than  joyous.  Once  those  nearest  saw  him 
weeping  as  he  went,  and  heard  him  mourn 
the  city's  unbelief  and  tragic  fate. 

Before  they  reached  the  city  gate  their 
coming  had  called  out  large  crowds  of  men 
and  women.  A  few  of  these  were  glad,  and 
dared  to  shout  in  welcome  as  Jesus  passed, 
and  then  fell  into  line  behind  and  marched 
to   do   him   honour.     Many  watched   the 


124     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

cavalcade  in  silence,  some  with  scowling 
and  contempt. 

A  knot  of  Pharisees  with  stoles  drawn 
close  about  them,  hearing  Jesus  hailed  as 
"King"  and  "Son  of  David,"  bade  him  stop 
it.  "What  his  right  to  these  great  titles? 
Why  delude  these  noisy  throngs  with  empty 
hopes?"  But  Jesus,  staying  not,  replied  that 
what  they  heard  was  right  and  fit.  It  was 
a  time  to  shout  "hosanna,"  and  if  men  held 
their  peace,  the  very  stones  beneath  his  feet 
would  cry  against  them.  The  Pharisees, 
abashed  and  angered,  sought  another  street 
and  disappeared. 

And  now  more  slowly  moved  the  caval- 
cade, for  throngs  from  every  quarter  packed 
the  narrow  way.  Along  the  roofs  of  many 
houses  curious  people  stood,  and  watched 
the  strange  procession.  Past  the  synagogue 
of  Galilee  and  up  the  Temple  Mount,  with 
ever  louder  bursts  of  joy,  it  went,  and  bend- 
ing round  the  lofty  Roman  tower  of  An- 
tonia,  it  poured  itself  at  last  upon  the  broad 
and  sacred  court  about  the  House  of  God. 

Then  Jesus  sent  the  foal  away,  to  be  re- 
turned to  Bethphage,  when  the  garments 


THE  DARKENING  WAY  1 25 

spread  upon  it  had  been  given  to  their 
owners. 

The  outer  court  was  thronged  with  men, 
and  through  the  din  that  rose  one  heard 
with  difficulty  the  music  of  the  Levites 
within  the  House  of  God. 

When  they  reached  the  terrace  before  the 
inner  wall,  beyond  which  Gentiles  might 
not  go  on  pain  of  death,  they  paused  a  little 
and  looked  down  upon  the  multitudes  sur- 
rounded by  the  stately  marble  cloisters  east 
and  west  and  south.  High  upon  the  cloister 
roof  they  saw  the  Roman  sentries,  observant 
of  the  scenes  below,  whose  signal  to  the  for- 
tress guard  would  bring  swift  punishment 
to  any  who  should  break  the  peace.  On 
every  side  they  saw  strange  garbs  from  dis- 
tant lands,  and  many  Gentile  proselytes 
mingling  with  the  Jews. 

Passing  through  a  splendid  gateway  and 
climbing  many  steps,  they  joined  the  wor- 
shippers within  the  court  of  Israel. 

Some  were  there  in  peasant  dress  like 
theirs,  and  some  in  costly  robes,  white  like 
the  priests',  with  broad  amulets  around  the 
arm  or  on  the  brow.    The  lamb  was  burn- 


126     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

ing  on  the  lofty  altar  with  flour  and  oil 
and  wine.  The  high  priests'  offering  was 
brought,  while  Levites  sang  the  psalm  that 
tells  of  Zion's  beauty,  whose  God  shall  be 
our  guide  forever.  Afterward,  within  the 
Holy  Place,  invisible  to  Jesus  and  his 
friends,  the  sacred  incense  was  poured  out 
upon  the  coals,  the  priests  came  forth  be- 
fore the  portal,  and  spoke  aloud,  the  five 
together,  Aaron's  blessing,  while  all  the 
people  bowed. 

Then,  descending  through  the  women's 
court  and  through  Nicanor's  gate,  the  little 
Galilean  group  slowly  made  their  way 
through  the  long  cloisters.  Jesus  marked 
what  men  were  doing,  heard  them  ask  the 
price  of  doves  and  sheep,  and  saw  them 
changing  foreign  coins  for  shekels  of  the 
sanctuary.  Then  as  the  darkness  gathered 
he  went  forth  to  Bethany. 


CHAPTER  TEN 


THE  PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM 


CHAPTER  TEN 

THE  PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM 

THE  second  day  at  morning  they  who 
had  come  with  Jesus  were  perplexed, 
for  he  had  gone  forth  from  Bethany  early 
and  alone,  before  the  time  of  opening  the 
Temple  gates.  Supposing  he  would  come 
to  morning  prayer,  they  sought  him  in  the 
inner  court  as  soon  as  they  gained  entrance, 
but  sought  in  vain.  He  was  not  there. 
Then  through  the  lower  court,  among 
the  gathering  multitudes,  they  wandered, 
searching,  until  an  outcry  toward  the  Water 
Gate  drew  them  and  others  thither.  Hoarse 
shouts  of  rage  and  calls  for  help  were  heard 
above  the  tumult  before  they  learned  the 
cause.  Every  minute  added  to  the  press 
and  tumult.  Soon  they  caught  the  voice 
of  Jesus,  and,  struggling  to  the  front,  they 
saw  him  standing  there  amid  the  wild  con- 
fusion, himself  serene,  but  with  a  look  and 
129 


130  JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

bearing  of  authority  so  high  and  awful  that 
men,  though  hot  with  anger,  quailed  before 
it.  They  felt  that  he  was  master  and  would 
have  his  way. 

The  Roman  soldiers  who  had  hastened 
to  the  scene  and  had  roughly  broken  pas- 
sage through  the  crowd  withdrew  again  on 
seeing  that  the  matter  touched  not  Caesar's 
rights.  The  Temple  guard  commanded 
order,  but  laid  not  hand  on  Jesus,  neither 
sought  to  check  the  headlong  exit  of  the 
traders  and  the  brokers.  The  cloisters  were 
soon  cleared  of  traffic,  and  any  who  that 
day  would  purchase  sacrifices  or  exchange 
their  common  coins  for  sacred  ones  must 
do  it  in  the  neighbouring  streets,  or  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  as  in  the  earlier  times. 

The  Galilean  brothers  still  had  kept  to- 
gether, though  roughly  jostled  by  the  surg- 
ing throng.  Intently  watching  every  move 
of  Jesus,  they  asked  each  other  what  might 
follow.  People  near  them  whispered, 
"Who  is  this?  At  least  a  mighty  prophet! 
How  flashed  his  eye,  how  rang  his  voice 
above  the  angry  din!  How  fearless  stood 
he  when  those  sons  of  Jabesh  raised  their 


THE  PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM        131 

fists,  and  when  the  guard  rushed  in  with 
glittering  swords!" 

All  eyes  were  now  on  Jesus,  who,  his  sud- 
den deed  accomplished,  calmly  turned  and 
met  the  gaze  of  priest  and  Pharisee.  His 
friends  pressed  up  as  near  him  as  they 
could,  and  heard  the  elders  ask  him  by  what 
right  he  interfered  with  their  arrangements 
in  the  Temple  courts,  and  set  himself 
against  the  scribes  and  sanhedrin?  What 
heavenly  sign  could  he  produce  to  justify 
his  bold,  yea,  lawless  act?  Would  he  de- 
stroy the  peace  of  Israel  and  even  the  House 
of  God  itself? 

Thus  chiding  him  with  bitter  words,  the 
rulers  crowded  threateningly  around,  and 
blindly  asked  a  sign.  In  that  moment  it 
flashed  upon  the  soul  of  Jesus  that  the  place 
where  he  was  standing,  even  the  sacred 
Temple  of  his  fathers,  where  many  a  soul 
in  the  past  had  met  with  God  and  found 
his  peace,  was  doomed  to  ruin ;  but  he  felt 
that  something  greater  lived  within  his 
spirit,  and  with  shining  face  uplifted,  in 
tones  of  high  prophetic  confidence,  he  ut- 
tered words  about  a  temple  yet  to  be  and 


132     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

purer  worship  men  were  soon  to  learn, 
words  about  a  holy  Kingdom  of  his  God 
that  he  would  build  in  coming  days  to  take 
the  place,  yea,  more  than  take  the  place, 
of  that  great  sanctuary  in  which  they  stood 
and  all  its  solemn  rites. 

Thus  darkly  fell  his  words  because  the 
very  truth  he  saw  exceeded  far  the  thoughts 
of  men  around  him.  Even  his  own  disci- 
ples did  not  receive  and  understand  his  say- 
ing; yet  in  that  moment,  as  he  stood  there 
hushing  all  the  tumult  by  his  pure  pres- 
ence and  the  consciousness  of  power  in  his 
soul,  they  felt  more  deeply  than  before  that 
he  who  spoke  was  brave  and  strong  enough 
to  be  the  Lord's  anointed  King. 

But  the  scribes  and  high  officials,  the  men 
of  mark  in  Israel,  saw  in  this  audacious 
Galilean  a  foe  whom  they  must  crush  at  any 
hazard  and  must  crush  at  once.  They 
sought  henceforth  to  catch  him  by  his 
words,  and  so  destroy  the  foolish  admira- 
tion in  which  the  people  held  him.  They 
challenged  his  authority  to  speak  or  act  as 
guide  in  sacred  things  in  Israel,  know- 
ing well  his  lowly  untaught  life  of  toil  far 


THE  PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM        133 

from  the  famous  rabbis  and  knowing  too 
that  he  shared  not  the  claim  to  reverence 
which  rests  on  austere  self-denial  such  as 
John's  or  on  a  blameless  keeping  of  all  an- 
cestral statutes — the  peculiar  merit  of  the 
Pharisees;  but  Jesus  met  their  challenge 
with  an  answer  that  foiled  their  aim  com- 
pletely. Had  John,  the  people's  hero  and 
Herod's  recent  victim,  been  authorised  of 
Heaven  to  do  his  work  or  not?  The  scribes 
dared  not  answer  No,  because  John's  fame 
was  great;  and  to  deny  that  he  was  sent  of 
God  might  stir  his  devotees  to  deeds  of  vio- 
lence; and  they  could  not  answer  Yes,  for 
well  they  knew  that  John  had  welcomed 
Jesus  as  one  greater  than  himself. 

Thus  did  Jesus  silence,  for  a  time,  the 
leaders  who  were  seeking  his  destruction. 
And  yet  this  victory  did  not  blind  him  to 
his  deadly  peril;  nor  did  that  other  when 
he  made  the  common  coins  they  carried 
with  them,  whereon  was  Caesar's  image, 
proclaim  that  Caesar  plainly  had  his  rights, 
as  well  as  God,  a  word  that  would  intensify 
the  hate  of  Pharisee  and  Zealot.  He  also 
met  the  haughty  Sadducees  on  their  own 


134     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

ground,  and  bore  away  the  palm.  They 
held  by  Moses,  yet  denied  a  future  life. 
And  Jesus  with  a  word  from  Moses  bat- 
tered down  their  doctrine  of  despair.  Said 
not  God  to  Moses  from  the  Bush,  "I  am  the 
God  of  Abraham"?  Since,  then,  it  is  not 
worthy  of  the  Lord  that  he  should  call  him- 
self the  God  of  dust  or  empty  shadows, 
Abraham  was  living,  though  long  dead. 

But  though  the  untaught  artisan  from 
Nazareth  withstood  all  schemes  to  steal 
away  his  prestige  with  the  throng,  his  clear 
eye  saw  that  death  was  unescapable  and 
near.  The  foe  was  on  his  track,  fiercer  than 
wolves  in  winter.  The  "unfaithful  vine- 
dressers" would  kill  the  "son"  of  the  owner 
of  the  vineyard.  Jesus  saw  it,  yet  unper- 
turbed as  when  his  followers  awoke  him  in 
the  tempest  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  he  went 
his  way,  and  spoke  his  word  of  warning 
and  of  doom.  A  fig  tree  full  of  leaves  but 
fruitless,  people  bidden  to  a  royal  feast  who 
scouted,  one  and  all,  the  gracious  summons 
— that  was  Israel,  that  in  fullest  sense  the 
sacred  city.  Beyond  the  storm  that  soon 
would  smite  his  life  and  smother  love  with 


THE  PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM        1 35 

hate  Jesus  saw  another  tempest  drawing 
on  whose  iron  flail  would  beat  the  walls 
of  Zion  into  dust  and  make  an  end  of 
that  religion  which  no  longer  knew  its  God. 
Yet  here  and  there  amid  the  thorns  a  flower 
blossomed  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  a  door  was 
opened  to  him  joyously,  and  hearts  re- 
ceived his  message  from  the  Father. 

Such  a  door  was  that  of  Simon  in  Beth- 
any. His  house  was  such  as  prosperous 
merchants  built — a  house  of  stone,  two 
stories  high,  the  court  well  paved  with  mar- 
ble and  having  in  the  midst  a  fountain. 
Round  its  basin  there  were  white  and  violet 
cyclamens  in  bloom.  The  rooms  below, 
about  the  court,  had  carven  doors  of  olive 
wood,  and  those  above  were  closed  with 
figured  tapestry  of  Tyrian  make.  About 
the  house  were  vines  and  figs,  and  one  large 
balsam  tree  in  front. 

The  feast  that  Simon  gave  to  honour 
Jesus  was  at  night.  The  court  between  the 
fountain  and  the  dais,  strewn  with  rugs  and 
cushions,  served  as  dining-hall.  The  guests 
were  met  by  Simon  in  the  vestibule  with 
words   of   greeting,   and   kissed   on   either 


136     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

cheek.  They  laid  aside  their  sandals  near 
the  door,  bathed  and  wiped  their  feet,  a 
servant  aiding,  and  then  went  forward  past 
the  fountain  to  the  cushions,  as  their  host 
directed. 

Jesus  had  the  place  of  honour  on  the  dais, 
near  him  Simon  and  the  twelve  in  order  as 
they  chanced  to  come,  and  finally  the  sons 
of  Simon.  None  reclined  till  Jesus  with 
uplifted  hands  had  given  thanks  to  God  and 
asked  his  gracious  blessing  on  the  meal. 

The  feast  in  part  was  ready  on  the  hand- 
some rug  before  the  guests,  and  part  was 
later  served  by  friends  in  Simon's  house. 

The  host  cared  not  for  rare  and  costly 
food,  and  knew  that  modest  cheer  with 
words  of  love  would  please  and  honour 
Jesus  best.  And  so  he  set  forth  common 
viands — roasted  lamb  and  bread  and  olives, 
fresh  new  figs  just  ripened  in  the  tropic 
gardens  by  the  Sea  of  Salt,  and  wine  from 
Magdala. 

The  scene  within  the  court  as  they  re- 
clined was  one  of  peace,  the  voices  low  and 
brotherly,  and  villagers  about  the  open  door 
looked  on  and  listened.    They  talked  of  the 


THE   PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM        1 37 

approaching  feast,  of  days  gone  by  in  Gali- 
lee, and  of  the  tower  in  Siloam  that  had 
fallen  recently  with  heavy  loss  of  life. 

There  came  a  hush  at  length  as  one,  then 
others,  noticed  that  a  woman  knelt  behind 
the  Master  with  a  cruse  of  ointment. 
Silently,  with  lavish  hand  that  spared  no 
drop  of  all  the  costly  perfume,  she  poured 
it  on  his  head,  and  with  it,  through  her 
eyes  and  bearing,  gave  the  costlier  and  more 
welcome  incense  of  a  loving  heart. 

And  soon  the  spacious  court  from  end  to 
end  was  full  of  fragrance,  rich,  delicious, 
as  from  banks  on  banks  of  thyme  and  cen- 
sers of  most  precious  myrrh.  The  oint- 
ment, brought  by  Arab  merchants  from  the 
East,  had  been  distilled  from  flowers  that 
grew  along  the  Ganges  and  the  Indus.  A 
cruet  of  the  finest  cost  the  price  of  three 
good  slaves,  and  years  of  common  use  would 
not  exhaust  its  store. 

The  hush  that  reigned  during  the 
woman's  grateful  act  gave  way,  when  it  was 
done,  to  words  of  admiration  from  the  host, 
with  which,  as  one  could  see,  some  of  the 
twelve  agreed.     But  others  wore  a  serious 


138  JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

or  a  troubled  look,  as  more  or  less  in  doubt 
about  the  fitness  of  the  deed,  while  one 
made  low  remarks  of  manifest  displeasure. 
When  some  near  him  gave  approving  nods 
or  whispers,  he  was  bold  to  blame  the  act 
aloud,  half  rising  on  his  elbow  and  turning 
toward  the  woman.  "Why  this  loss?  It 
had  been  wiser,  more  in  keeping  with  our 
holy  Law  and  with  our  Master's  word,  to 
have  sold  the  flask  and  have  given  to  the 
poor,  to  some  of  those  who  stand  out  there 
about  the  door  in  need  of  daily  bread.  A 
little  ointment  would  have  served  the  end 
as  well — a  worthy  end,  and  with  the  rest 
one  might  have  done  much  good.  Now  all 
is  wasted  on  a  moment's  pleasure." 

The  woman  turned  a  troubled  face  to 
Jesus,  grieving  that  one  near  to  him  should 
hold  her  act  so  cheap.  Jesus  saw  her  look 
and  understood  her  heart.  Her  deed  of 
love  had  touched  him  deeply,  and  flashed 
upon  his  soul  both  glad  and  solemn 
thoughts.  At  once  he  silenced  him  who 
criticised  the  act.  What  he  had  blamed  as 
waste  was  beautiful  in  Jesus'  sight  and 
timely  too.     A  little  while  and  he  would 


THE   PROPHET  IN  JERUSALEM        1 39 

not  be  with  them  at  a  feast  again,  or  where 
their  love  could  minister  to  him  in  face  to 
face  exchange.  A  gift  at  parting  was  this 
gift  that  she  had  made,  and  beautiful  be- 
cause her  best.  To  give  to  him  as  she  had 
given  was  an  echo  of  his  inmost  Gospel, 
and  so  loud  and  clear  an  echo  that  until 
the  end  of  time  itself  it  should  not  wholly 
die  away. 

But  more  than  this,  her  act  of  love,  un- 
known indeed  to  her,  was  unto  him  a  sac- 
rament of  burial.  His  end  was  near,  he 
knew,  and  such  an  end  as  well  might  leave 
no  chance  for  any  loving  rites,  even  if 
friends  were  found  who  dared  to  ask  the 
broken  form  of  one  condemned  to  the  most 
shameful  death.  And  Jesus  with  a  clear 
presentiment  of  what  would  come  received 
the  woman's  act  as  a  sacrament  of  burial. 

Now  when  he  spoke  these  solemn  words 
a  deeper  hush  fell  on  the  little  band,  with 
chilling  dread  of  some  disaster  that  would 
soon  o'ertake  them  all. 

But  on  the  face  of  Judas,  when  he  had 
left  the  others  at  the  door  of  Simon's  house, 
a  heavy  shadow  gathered;  a  hot  and  threat- 


140     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

ening  glow  was  in  his  eyes.  He  felt  that 
he  had  reached  the  parting  of  the  ways. 
Rebuked  by  Jesus,  and  repelled  from  him 
by  all  he  said  of  his  approaching  fate,  he 
went  away  alone,  and  held  communion  with 
his  wounded  pride,  his  fears  and  unbelief. 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN 
THE  THICK  DARKNESS 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN 

THE  THICK  DARKNESS 

TWO  days  had  passed  since  Jesus  rode 
in  royal  state  across  the  Kedron  bridge 
and  up  the  Temple  Mount.  The  third  was 
sinking  when  he  left  the  sacred  court  to 
come  again  no  more. 

Across  the  little  valley  eastward  from 
Jerusalem  Jesus  paused  with  four  disci- 
ples, while  the  gold  and  marble  of  the 
House  of  God  were  splendid  in  the  setting 
sun,  and  with  prophetic  words  foretold  the 
final  overthrow  of  this  and  every  temple 
wherein  the  spirit  of  the  living  Father  is 
but  a  name. 

The  twelve  had  parted  for  a  little  while 
on  various  errands,  promising  to  share  their 
evening  meal  in  Bethany.  And  while  the 
silver  trumpet  sounded  loud  the  call  to  wor- 
ship, Judas  sought  the  court  of  Israel,  and 
crossing  to  its  limit  nearest  to  the  lodgings 
143 


144     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

of  the  priests  waited  restlessly  until  he  saw 
the  man  he  sought,  a  member  of  the  daily 
watch  before  the  Holy  Place  whom  he  had 
known  for  years.  He  asked  this  man  to 
take  him  to  the  captain  of  the  Temple,  and 
to  call  some  leading  priests  together,  as  he 
had  important  words  for  them  to  hear. 

When  a  group  of  priests  were  gathered 
in  the  captain's  room,  among  them  Joseph 
Caiaphas  himself,  the  son  of  Simon  told 
them  who  he  was  and  why  he  came.  He 
said  that  he  had  hoped  at  first,  in  Galilee, 
that  Jesus  was  the  promised  King,  such 
signs  of  power  were  wrought  by  him  upon 
the  sick;  but  now  this  early  hope  was  gone. 
The  man  had  spurned  his  chance  to  rule 
as  King  a  year  ago  beside  the  lake,  and 
spurned  it  here  again  when  hailed  as  "Son 
of  David"  by  the  crowds  who  met  him  on 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  bearing  palms.  No 
one  could  longer  look  to  him  for  Israel's 
redemption.  And  this  was  rendered  yet 
more  clear  by  what  he  now  had  said  and 
done  against  the  anointed  leaders  of  God's 
people. 

Judas,  speaking  on  this  wise,  inquired  if 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 45 

he  could  be  of  any  slightest  service  to  the 
holy  priests  in  purging  Israel's  sacred  soil 
of  a  transgressor.  Then  were  they  glad,  for 
though  agreed  that  Jesus  ought  to  die  they 
dared  not  seize  him  openly  for  fear  a  tumult 
might  be  raised  and  Rome  have  cause  to 
make  her  rule  more  stringent  still.  They 
welcomed  Judas  as  a  wise  and  patriotic 
man,  and  said  his  aid  should  not  be  unre- 
warded. They  asked  where  Jesus  lodged, 
and  whether  he  would  fight  if  brought  at 
last  to  bay.  They  cautioned  Judas  that  the 
safest  time  to  seize  the  common  foe  would 
be  at  night;  and  then  with  sugared  words 
dismissed  him  by  a  private  way. 

With  mingled  feelings  Judas  hurried 
back  toward  Bethany  as  twilight  turned  to 
dark.  He  shuddered  deeply  as  he  passed 
the  hoary  tomb  of  Absalom  within  the  Vale 
of  Kings,  where  demons  had  been  said  to 
lodge;  and  then  increased  his  pace  until  he 
neared  the  little  village.  Then  he  loitered, 
asked  himself  if  he  should  stop  where  Jesus 
and  the  rest  were  staying,  or  go  at  once  to 
Simon's,  where  he  was  to  lodge.  He  did 
not  care  to  see  the  face  of  Jesus,  or  meet 


I46     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

the  eyes  of  his  companions.  But  still  his 
anger  hotly  burned  against  the  man  who 
had  shamed  and  thwarted  him,  his  disap- 
pointment too  was  great  that  Jesus  set  him- 
self against  all  thoughts  of  earthly  thrones 
and  kingdoms,  and  then  if  he  was  to  keep 
his  compact  with  the  priests  he  must  stay 
within  the  circle  of  the  twelve,  putting  on 
a  front  of  trust  and  friendliness.  So  he  re- 
solved at  last  to  meet  and  sup  with  them  as 
had  been  planned. 

The  customary  greeting  when  he  joined 
the  band  was  warmer  by  a  shade  than  he 
was  wont  to  give.  This  struck  the  Master's 
ear,  and  made  him  turn  a  searching  gaze  on 
Judas,  which  the  traitor  felt  but  did  not 
meet. 

When  Philip  asked  him,  as  they  went  to 
rest,  why  he  had  come  so  late,  he  said  a 
friend  had  met  him  at  the  evening  sacrifice 
and  had  kept  him  longer  than  he  knew. 

As  Jesus  on  the  following  day  would  send 
to  buy  the  paschal  lamb  and  other  needful 
things  and  make  all  ready  for  the  feast,  he 
sent  by  John  and  Simon,  passing  Judas, 
though   he   bore   the   common   purse   and 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 47 

wished  to  go.  And  Jesus  gave  no  name  of 
street  or  host,  but  spoke  in  signs,  that  Judas, 
whose  dark  secret  was  not  hid  from  his  clear 
eye,  might  not  cross  his  plan  to  keep  the 
great  ancestral  feast  with  his  disciples.  Yet 
when  the  evening  came,  and  the  supper  was 
now  well-nigh  ended  in  the  upper  room, 
when  Jesus  craved  an  hour  of  holy  fellow- 
ship in  which  to  give  his  own  a  sign  of  all 
his  deepest  truth,  a  symbol  binding  them  to 
him  and  each  to  each  with  bands  that  time 
and  tide  should  never  break,  then  at  last 
he  bade  his  faithless  follower  go,  but  not  in 
words  that  others  understood.  He  spared 
him  this  disgrace. 

Then  Judas  rose  and  left  the  chamber,  his 
secret  unsuspected  save  by  one.  And  now 
that  secret  pressed  for  action,  and  the  way 
was  clear  before  him.  He  answered  not  the 
friendly  salutation  spoken  at  the  lower  door 
by  a  member  of  the  household,  but  hurried 
forth  in  bitter  silence.  He  ran  along  the 
empty  streets  until  he  reached  the  lordly 
house  of  Joseph  just  above  the  entrance  to 
the  bridge  which  led  across  from  David's 
Hill  unto  the  Temple  Mount. 


148     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

The  festal  company  were  still  reclining 
in  the  spacious  hall  when  Judas  gained 
admittance  to  the  outer  court  and  sent  an 
urgent  message  to  the  priest.  When 
Caiaphas  had  heard  where  Jesus  was,  and 
how  he  might  be  safely  seized,  he  called  his 
trusted  servants  hastily  and  gave  to  each  a 
separate  charge.  One  bore  a  message  to 
Antonia,  and  asked  that  soldiers  be  des- 
patched to  him  at  once  to  seize  a  dangerous 
man  and  so  prevent  a  riot.  Others  went  to 
call  the  judges,  seventy  men  from  near  and 
far,  yet  all  within  the  city  walls,  and 
Joseph  bade  the  messengers  be  swift  and 
sure. 

Now  Judas  waited  in  the  high  priest's 
court,  a  lonely  man  beside  a  tall  and  flaring 
torch.  And  as  he  sat  in  silence  there  came  to 
him,  unbidden  and  unwelcome,  thoughts  of 
other  days,  swift  glimpses  of  the  Master's 
face  in  hours  when  he  had  sought  to  draw 
the  twelve  to  him  in  love  and  trust;  and 
snatches  of  the  Master's  prayers  that  God 
would  make  his  followers  true  and  noble 
men,  to  stand  unscathed  in  hours  of  hot 
temptation,  and  to  scorn  all  base  and  love- 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 49 

less  deeds.  He  rose,  and  struggled  with 
these  memories,  and  sought  to  cast  them 
out. 

When  he  resumed  his  seat  beside  the  tall 
and  flaring  torch,  two  men  passed  through 
the  court,  who  seemed  to  look  upon  him 
with  contempt,  though  they  were  strangers ; 
and  when  they  went  within  the  hall  he  felt 
yet  lonelier  than  before.  Where  should  he 
find  a  friend  again?  How  chill  the  place, 
how  hard  the  face  and  tones  of  Caiaphas! 
How  far  away  the  upper  chamber  seemed 
and  the  fair  Galilean  days! 

Then  a  voice  within  him  whispered, 
"The  door  is  open  still,  and  the  Master 
pardons  seventy  times  seven.  These  priests 
will  surely  take  his  life,  and  blood  will  be 
upon  thy  head  of  one  who  never  did  thee 
aught  but  good."  But  as  he  thought  and 
struggled  inwardly,  now  stung  by  disap- 
pointed hope  and  the  bitter  memory  of  re- 
bukes from  Jesus'  lips,  now  almost  yielding 
to  the  better  impulse  of  his  heart,  the  sol- 
diers came,  and  his  good  angel  vanished  in 
the  shadows  of  the  night. 

The  officer  and  Joseph  talked  with  Judas 


150  JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

of  the  route,  the  line  was  formed,  the 
marching  order  given,  and  he  led  the  way. 
Soon  he  brought  the  priests  and  soldiers  to 
the  house  whence  he  had  fled  an  hour  or 
two  before.  The  door  was  locked,  no  light 
was  seen,  and  all  was  still  within.  They 
knocked  until  the  bolt  was  drawn,  and 
though  the  owner  said  that  Jesus  had  gone 
forth,  they  searched  the  house  throughout. 
A  whispered  council  then  was  held  outside, 
and  Judas,  much  chagrined  that  Jesus  was 
not  found,  advised  to  go  at  once  and  search 
a  garden  in  the  Kedron  vale  where  he  was 
wont  to  rest.  The  priests  and  officer  agreed 
with  him,  the  soldiers  formed  again,  and 
forth  they  went  without  the  city  gate,  and 
having  crossed  the  bridge  turned  southward 
through  the  silent  night. 

A  garden,  walled  and  shaded  deep  with 
ancient  olive  trees,  lay  just  ahead  upon  the 
left.  With  cautious  step  and  peering  in 
among  the  trees  by  light  of  torch  and  lan- 
tern Judas  and  the  foremost  priests  and 
soldiers  entered.  Then,  as  they  went  slowly 
forward,  suddenly  from  out  the  darkness, 
calm  and  resolute,  the  Master  stepped,  and 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  151 

said,  "Whom  seek  ye?"  Startled,  they  made 
answer,  "Jesus."  He,  advancing  still,  re- 
sponded, "I  am  he";  and  asked  why  they 
had  come  with  swords  and  clubs  as  though 
to  seize  a  robber.  Then  they  fell  back  a 
step,  both  priests  and  soldiers,  somewhat 
frightened  by  his  sudden  bold  appearance 
there  at  dead  of  night.  A  man  whose 
simple  word  had  wrought  great  signs  upon 
the  sick — what  fire  of  wrath,  what  dreadful 
stroke  of  judgment  might  that  word  bring 
down  upon  them  now! 

They  halted,  awed  and  doubting,  till  he 
spoke  again,  requesting  that  his  followers 
be  not  touched ;  but  when  they  saw  that  he 
would  not  resist,  emboldened,  they  went  up 
and  bound  his  hands  with  leathern  thongs. 
Then  back  across  the  bridge  and  through 
the  echoing  streets  they  marched  with  speed 
until  they  reached  the  house  of  Annas,  near 
the  palace  whence  they  started.  There  a 
halt  was  made.  The  soldiers,  save  a  score 
for  guard,  returned  to  their  dark  fortress, 
and  the  helpless  prisoner  was  brought  be- 
fore the  priest.  When  Annas  sought  with 
guile  to  make  the  Master  tell  him  what  he 


152     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

taught,  he  failed,  and  failing  let  his  min- 
ions smite  the  face  of  Jesus  unrebuked. 
Thence,  guarded  right  and  left  by  soldiers, 
marching  to  the  high  priest's  palace,  Jesus 
shortly  stood  before  the  arch-tribunal  of  his 
nation. 

Gathered  in  that  hall  where,  earlier  in 
the  night,  the  family  and  guests  had  eaten 
of  the  paschal  lamb,  the  judges  ranged  in 
semi-circle  sat,  with  Joseph  in  the  centre 
on  a  higher  seat.  On  either  wing  there  was 
a  scribe  to  count  the  votes.  And  Jesus,  pale 
from  watching  and  from  agony  of  soul,  his 
hands  still  tied  with  thongs,  stood  in  the 
crescent,  facing  Joseph.  None  was  there  to 
plead  his  cause. 

Then  witnesses  were  brought  to  prove 
some  deadly  wrong  in  Jesus,  some  word 
against  the  Temple  or  the  king,  or  that  he 
claimed  to  be  the  Lord's  Anointed.  But 
the  judges,  eager  though  they  were  to  find 
a  ground,  saw  none  in  what  the  witnesses 
had  said.  So  wise  and  pure  the  life  of  him 
who  stood  before  their  bar,  that  even  lying 
witnesses  and  hostile  court  could  find  no 
mortal  blot  therein  I 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 53 

Then  Joseph  Caiaphas  in  extremest  agi- 
tation rose,  and  lifting  up  his  jewelled  hand 
to  heaven  charged  Jesus  under  oath  to  say 
if  he  were  Christ,  the  King  of  Israel.  When 
he  had  spoken  thus,  an  awful  hush  fell  on 
the  sanhedrin.  All  eyes  were  fixed  upon 
the  prisoner's  face,  and  men  leaned  forward 
in  their  eagerness  to  catch  the  fatal  word, 
their  muscles  tense  and  rigid  as  their  minds. 

And  Jesus,  facing  Joseph  there  before  the 
high  tribunal,  knowing  that  his  answer 
meant  his  death,  and  would  let  loose  against 
him  all  the  pent-up  rage  of  cruel  bigotry, 
replied,  "I  am;  and  ye  moreover  who  be- 
hold me  helpless  here  shall  see  me  yet  en- 
throned in  glorious  power." 

Then  the  court  tumultuously  condemned 
the  Son  of  Man  to  death,  and  angels  watch- 
ing from  the  realms  of  glory  hid  their  faces 
from  the  dreadful  insults  which  the  judges 
heaped  upon  his  head.  At  last  they  wearied 
of  abuse,  and  left  him  with  the  guard  till 
break  of  day. 

But  when  the  trumpet  now  had  sounded 
and  the  festal  sacrifice  was  being  offered, 
priests  and  soldiers  hurried  Jesus  west  to 


154     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

Pilate's  palace  by  the  Joppa  gate.  His 
sanction  once  secured,  their  work  would 
soon  be  done.  But  Roman  sense  of  justice 
blocked  their  envious  course.  They  charged 
that  Jesus  made  himself  a  king,  but  Pilate, 
seeing  Jesus  there  in  peasant  dress  and 
friendless,  withal  a  silent  man  who  seemed 
unheedful  of  the  noisy  accusations  of  his 
foes,  would  not  entertain  the  charge.  Then 
hearing  that  the  man  had  come  from  Gali- 
lee, he  thought  to  free  himself  from  fur- 
ther care  by  sending  him  to  Herod.  An 
hour  later  Herod  sent  him  back,  in  mock- 
ery decked  out  as  though  a  king. 

And  silently  the  Master  went,  and  silently 
he  came  again  to  Pilate.  The  calm  that  he 
had  gained  in  prayer  among  the  shadows 
of  the  olive  trees  was  deep  and  full  of 
strength  and  full  of  light. 

Then  the  Roman  tried  to  set  him  free. 
He  called  aloud  to  all  the  throng  assembled 
at  the  place  of  judgment,  asking  them  if  he 
should  pardon  Jesus.  They  could  name  a 
man  for  pardon  on  a  festal  day  like  this, 
and  Pilate  hoped  the  crowa  would  ask  for 
Jesus.    But  priestly  fear  controlled  the  mul- 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 55 

titude  and  balked  the  Roman's  wish.  Then 
the  prisoner  disappeared  within  the  palace, 
while  the  crowd  without  grew  larger  every 
minute,  and  the  air  was  rent  with  angry 
noise. 

A  little  while  and  Pilate  came  again  and 
Jesus  with  him.  What  had  come  to  pass 
within  the  court  no  secret  was,  but  written 
plain  upon  the  face  and  form  of  Jesus. 
Round  him  was  a  purple  tunic,  soiled  and 
worn,  the  garment  of  some  soldier;  on  his 
head  a  chaplet  of  acacia  thorns  with  crim- 
son fringe  across  the  brow;  upon  his  face 
a  record  full  of  suffering. 

And  Pilate  hoped  the  sight  would  move 
the  crowd  to  pity,  but  his  hope  was  vain. 
The  rage  of  priests  became  a  wild  resistless 
passion,  and  when  Pilate  went  again  within 
they  cast  aside  the  pious  scruples  which 
before  had  kept  them  out,  and  followed 
with  insistent  clamour  to  the  court.  And 
there  at  last  they  brought  the  Roman  to 
their  terms.  If  he  is  Caesar's  friend,  they 
say,  he  cannot  spare  this  man  who  claims 
to  be  a  king;  and  if  he  spares,  yea,  if  he 


156     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

dare  to  spare  him,  their  cry  shall  reach  to 
Caesar's  ear. 

Then  Pilate's  sense  of  righteousness  was 
quenched  by  love  of  power,  and  he  fell. 
Once  more  he  faced  the  crowd  without,  this 
time  to  do  its  will,  for  sitting  as  a  judge  he 
sentenced  Jesus  unto  death. 

The  morning  now  was  far  advanced — 
a  festal  morning,  and  the  streets  of  the  Holy 
City  were  full  of  colour  and  full  of  joyous 
life.  The  laughter  of  little  children  was 
mingled  with  the  serious  tones  of  grey- 
haired  men  and  women.  Glad  salutations 
of  old  friends  from  far  and  near,  meeting 
at  this  feast  of  feasts,  were  followed  with 
devoutest  wishes  that  God  would  visit 
Israel  with  deliverance  as  in  the  ancient 
days,  in  Egypt  and  in  Babylon.  So  flowed 
the  tides  of  life  along  the  streets  of  Zion. 

But  suddenly  upon  this  pleasant  scene  a 
wind  sprang  up  from  out  the  southern  des- 
ert, the  sky  grew  dark,  and  a  heavy  storm 
approached. 

One  passing  at  this  hour  the  Damascus 
gate  and  out  along  the  highway  northward 
saw  upon  the  left,  against  the  darkening 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 57 

sky,  three  crosses  bearing  human  forms; 
and  on  the  hill  around  saw  groups  of  men 
and  women.  Nearer  come,  one  saw  a  heavy 
hammer  on  the  grass,  and  cords,  and  iron 
spikes.  Four  bundles  lay  there  also,  each  a 
soldier's  share  of  what  the  victims  once  had 
worn. 

Rapidly  the  light  of  day  went  out  upon 
the  hills,  and  men  were  hushed  in  awe. 
Some  looking  at  the  central  cross,  whereon 
the  Galilean  prophet  had  been  nailed,  beat 
hard  upon  their  breasts  and  groaned  and 
ran  away.  One  little  group  stood  closer 
than  the  rest — the  soldiers  only  nearer — a 
group  of  trembling  women,  and  these  un- 
heedful  of  the  gathering  gloom  around  saw 
only  how  their  one  fond  hope,  whereon 
their  very  life  had  hung,  was  sinking 
through  a  mystery  of  pain  to  the  deeper 
mystery  of  death. 

The  clouds  swept  lower  still  and  grew 
more  black.  The  city  scarce  was  seen  from 
Golgotha.  Its  towers  were  dim  and  ghostly 
shapes.  The  Gentile  games  below  Siloam 
stopped,  and  people  fled  in  terror  to  their 
homes.     The   vagrant   dogs    ran   howling 


158     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

round  the  city  walls,  and  down  the  shud- 
dering vale  of  Hinnom. 

Within  his  palace  Pontius  Pilate  heard 
again  from  walls  and  roof  the  dreadful 
echoes  of  the  cry  the  priests  had  raised  there 
in  the  morning,  "Crucify  him!  crucify!" 
He  could  not  shut  these  echoes  out  He 
wished  the  priests  were  crucified  instead  of 
Jesus.  He  marvelled  that  the  day  was 
changed  to  night,  and  called  his  Grecian 
seer  to  learn  what  this  dread  sign  portended. 

Joseph  Caiaphas  was  pale  and  troubled 
by  his  thoughts;  and  though  he  shunned  the 
hall  wherein  the  court  had  met,  he  could 
not  banish  from  his  mind  the  image  of  the 
prisoner. 

Upon  the  Temple  mount  the  guards  for- 
got their  tasks,  and  ran  together  looking 
at  the  awful  sky.  Some  men  thought  of 
Egypt  and  its  doom  in  days  long  past,  and 
some  of  Jesus  out  there  on  the  rocky  hill 
beyond  the  wall. 

The  little  group  that  long  had  stood  be- 
fore the  cross  still  watched  and  waited  in 
the  darkness;  they  could  not  go  away, 
though  staying  pierced  their  souls  as  Roman 


THE  THICK  DARKNESS  1 59 

nails  had  pierced  the  hands  and  feet  of 
Jesus.  Moments  that  were  years,  and  hours 
ages  long,  had  now  at  last  gone  by  when 
once  again  the  Master  spoke,  commending 
to  his  Father's  hand  his  weary  spirit.  Then 
his  head  sank  down  upon  his  shoulder,  and 
the  friends  at  length  became  aware  of  the 
darkness  on  the  land,  and  shuddered. 

Toward  evening,  when  the  pall  of  night 
and  tempest  had  been  lifted  from  the  smit- 
ten earth,  tender  hands  took  down  the 
broken  body  from  the  cross,  wrapt  it  up  in 
linen  cloth,  and  laid  it  in  a  rock-hewn  tomb 
hard  by  the  hill. 

The  man  long-promised,  best  and  wisest 
of  the  race,  the  only  one  who  knew  the 
Father  and  was  in  spirit  wholly  like  him, 
had  been  crucified  and  buried. 

The  fate  foreseen  from  Galilee  had  come 
upon  him,  and  there  were  few  who 
mourned. 

The  light  of  his  short  day,  more  precious 
than  the  radiance  of  sun  and  stars,  had  been 
quenched  in  pitiless  and  awful  gloom.  Was 
this  the  end?    Or  were  his  words  about  a 


160     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

coming  in  the  glory  of  the  Father,  which 
even  his  foes  should  see,  a  heavenly  bridge 
for  Hope  to  pass  from  Golgotha  into  a 
Golden  Future? 


CHAPTER  TWELVE 

THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS 
OVER  DEATH 


CHAPTER   TWELVE 

THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH 

JERUSALEM,  whose  streets  had  re- 
sounded with  fierce  cries  as  her  Mes- 
siah, all  unrecognised  as  such,  was  led  forth 
with  robbers  to  his  bitter  death  without  the 
walls,  was  still  again,  and  the  spring  night 
wore  on  to  Sunday  morning.  But  Peter 
and  his  brother  were  hurrying  back  toward 
Galilee,  not  daring  to  be  seen  by  those  whose 
hate  had  brought  their  Master  to  the  cross. 
The  crushing  failure  that  had  come  to  all 
their  cherished  hopes  had  left  them  spirit- 
less and  weak,  unable  to  cast  off  their  fears 
or  reason  calmly  of  the  hour's  need.  To 
fly  far  from  the  bloody,  doomed  city  and 
the  scenes  of  the  last  two  days  was  now  their 
only  thought.  Before  the  morning  dawned 
in  the  deep  Jordan  gorge  they  had  passed 
through  Jericho,  and  had  felt  the  pain  of 
remembering  with  what  hope  they  had  so 
163 


164  JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

lately  come  to  this  town,  when  their  faces 
and  their  Master's  were  set  toward  the 
Holy  City.  How  fair  their  old  dream  of 
an  earthly  Kingdom  now  appeared,  seeing 
that  it  could  never  be  realised!  With  every 
return  of  this  heavy  thought  life  grew  more 
hopeless.  But  they  kept  on  to  the  north, 
resting  only  in  the  day's  greatest  heat;  and 
they  were  footsore  and  silent.  Once  they 
met  a  rabbi,  who  scowled  on  passing,  then 
turned  and  cried  that  people  who  kept  not 
God's  law  of  the  Sabbath  were  accursed. 
But  they  heeded  not  his  condemnation. 
Their  cup  of  fear  and  sorrow  was  already 
full.  Nor  did  they  at  the  moment  recall 
the  Master's  liberating  word  about  the 
Sabbath  day,  that  it  was  made  to  give  man 
rest  and  holy  comfort. 

Late  in  the  evening,  worn  out  in  body  and 
bowed  in  spirit,  they  dropped  in  the  shelter 
of  a  clump  of  olive  trees,  and  for  a  little 
space  forgot  their  loneliness  and  woe. 
They  knew  it  not,  but  James  and  John, 
moved  by  the  same  fears,  had  left  Jeru- 
salem together  a  little  later  than  they,  and 
were  now  sleeping  in  the  open  air  a  few 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH      1 6$ 

miles  down  the  river.  Other  apostles  and 
near  friends  of  Jesus,  overwhelmed  and 
scattered  by  the  fate  that  had  befallen  him, 
were  for  a  time  lost  to  each  other,  as  young 
partridges  when  the  mother  has  fallen  a 
prey  to  the  hunter  or  the  fox. 

When  the  fugitives  reached  the  Lake  of 
Galilee  the  following  day,  and  came  to 
Kerak,  whose  healing  springs,  alas,  could 
never  cure  their  deep  hurt,  an  old  neigh- 
bour from  Capernaum  who  had  a  fishing- 
boat  offered  them  passage  home.  He 
needed  not  to  ask  them  whether  their  young 
Master  had  set  up  the  Kingdom  which  so 
many  craved.  He  read  the  failure  of  their 
hopes  writ  on  their  sad  faces  and  bent 
forms,  and  wisely  waited  for  their  story  un- 
til their  hearts  should  prompt  them  to  be- 
gin. The  boat  moreover  left  him  little  time 
for  word  or  thought  of  things  afar,  and  he 
like  many  another  in  his  town  had  not  been 
deeply  moved  by  Jesus  since  he  refused  to 
wear  an  earthly  crown.  This  action  clearly 
proved  to  them  that  he  was  not  the  expected 
Hero  of  their  nation.  So  in  a  silence  sel- 
dom broken  the  three  men  passed  north- 


1 66     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

ward,  toward  evening,  over  the  sparkling 
waters  they  had  known  and  loved  from 
childhood. 

Halfway  up  the  lake,  when  the  scenes 
drew  nearer  which  had  been  made  memora- 
ble by  deeds  and  words  of  their  great 
Friend,  the  immediate  past  with  its  dark 
shadows  began  to  yield  to  those  golden  days 
and  months  whose  memories  now  came 
thronging  back  upon  them  tumultuously. 
And  Peter  more  than  Andrew  was  mastered 
by  the  vision  of  the  past.  His  spirit  ranged 
from  point  to  point  along  the  shores, 
whither  he  had  gone  in  company  with  Jesus, 
and  with  every  scene  there  came  to  mind 
great  words  that  he  had  heard  the  Master 
speak,  or  acts  of  love  and  power  that  shed 
the  very  light  of  God  upon  the  humble 
prophet. 

Yonder,  in  the  far  distance,  gleams  for  a 
moment  the  white  synagogue  where  the 
demoniac  was  healed,  and  there,  below,  the 
beach-line  is  just  visible  where  he,  first  of 
all,  had  been  called  from  his  nets  to  a  disci- 
pleship  that  seemed  so  full  of  hope.  A  little 
further  back,  but  hidden  now  from  sight, 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH      1 67 

lay  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida  with  their  care- 
less multitudes,  whose  worldliness  had 
cost  the  Master  sleepless  nights.  There, 
too,  on  the  left,  stretched  the  whole  garden 
of  Gennesaret,  wonderful  with  its  fountains 
and  groves,  its  almost  endless  summer  and 
luxuriance  of  plant  and  vine  and  tree. 
What  hours  and  days  had  he  passed  in  that 
paradise  with  one  who  gave  to  all  its  many 
charms  a  charm  more  subtle  still!  And 
there  by  the  great  white  sycamore  is  the 
quiet  inlet  where  the  Master  spoke  from 
his  boat  to  the  crowds  on  the  shore,  and 
where,  later,  they  would  have  set  a  crown 
on  his  head  had  he  not  sternly  refused  to 
listen  to  their  ardent  words  and  withdrawn 
to  the  dark  hillside. 

Yonder,  at  the  foot  of  that  high  cliff,  they 
had  landed  after  the  wild  storm — he  and 
his  companions  with  the  Master  who  had 
slept  on  a  pillow  in  the  stern  of  the  boat 
until  they  awaked  him  with  their  cries;  and 
through  that  dark  defile  behind  the  cliff 
and  northward  they  had  come  down  to  the 
lake  after  the  long  and  wonderful  walk 
with  him  past  Tyre  and  Sidon  and  through 


1 68     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

the  northern  mountains.  Across  the  lake, 
beyond  Capernaum  in  the  west,  now  in 
clearer  view,  stands  the  hill  where  the  Mas- 
ter spoke  the  blessing  for  those  who  mourn 
and  those  who  are  persecuted.  Some  of 
those  who  heard  his  word  declared  that 
Israel  had  never  had  so  great  a  prophet,  so 
wise  and  gracious  and  mighty  a  teacher 
of  the  way  of  God. 

Higher  yet,  and  far  away  to  the  north- 
ward up  the  Jordan,  towered  white  Her- 
mon,  and  Peter,  gazing  on  it,  said  within 
his  heart,  "It  was  there — O  joyous  hour! 
I  hailed  him  as  Messiah.  And  he  blessed 
me  for  that  word,  with  joy  that  lighted  all 
his  face  beyond  what  we  had  ever  seen 
thereon.  He  blessed  me  for  it;  and  yet  his 
thought  of  the  Messiah,  his  thought  of 
Israel's  hope,  was  not  as  ours.  He  plainly 
said  his  people  would  reject  him,  and  now 
they  have  fulfilled  his  word.  They  have 
indeed  rejected  him,  and  he  is  dead,  our 
Master,  slain  by  Gentiles.  But  up  yonder 
he  blessed  me  when  I  said,  Thou  art  Mes- 
siah!    Was  he  mistaken — he  so  wise,   so 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH      169 

good,  so  near  to  God?  Who  then  can  know 
the  truth,  if  he  knew  not?" 

Peter  was  roused  from  his  deep  reverie 
by  voices  on  the  shore,  and  then  their  boat 
was  at  the  pier — the  very  pier  from  which 
he  had  put  out  so  many  times  with  Jesus. 
In  the  friendly  shade  of  evening,  having 
parted  from  Andrew,  he  made  his  way  un- 
noticed and  alone  to  his  near  home,  now 
empty,  for  all  the  family  had  gone  to  keep 
the  paschal  feast,  and  it  would  be  two  days 
at  least  before  the  return  of  the  Galilean 
caravans. 

Instinctively  he  sought  the  little  room 
which  Jesus,  when  in  town,  had  counted  his, 
and  groping  through  the  darkness  to  the 
Master's  cot  he  lay  down,  glad  to  be  alone 
with  his  thoughts. 

"Howstrange  andglorious  this  cottage  has 
become  since  that  day  when  first  I  brought 
home  Jesus  as  my  guest!  Out  there  in  the 
little  court  the  Master  healed  the  paralytic, 
let  down  through  the  roof  by  his  friends; 
and  there  too  he  spoke  the  word  that  they 
are  near  and  dear  to  him  who  do  the  will 
of   God.      From   her  chamber   across   the 


I  JO     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

court  my  mother  came  forth,  restored  from 
fever  by  the  touch  and  presence  of  our 
guest.  Here,  under  this  very  roof,  when  we 
had  come  back  secretly  from  the  north,  he 
rebuked  us  for  striving  with  one  another 
for  the  honour  of  being  first  in  the  Kingdom 
which  we  thought  was  near;  and  he  said  if 
any  one  of  us  would  be  the  chief,  he  should 
make  himself  the  servant  of  all.  And  well 
we  knew  that  this  was  his  own  way:  he 
made  himself  our  servant. 

"Here  at  my  door  he  stood  that  Sabbath 
evening  after  sunset,  and  touched  the  sick, 
and  spoke  many  gracious  words.  How 
often,  when  he  gave  the  blessing  over  meat, 
here  in  this  home,  our  hearts  were  lifted  up ! 
How  often  and  how  strangely  did  his  look 
and  silent  presence  work  in  our  hearts  re- 
lease from  fear  and  care!  And  here  we 
met  and  told  him  what  we  had  done  and 
taught,  sent  out  by  twos  through  Galilee. 
And  when  he  heard  our  words,  how  we  had 
cast  out  demons  in  his  name,  he  thanked 
the  Father  for  our  trust,  and  said  that  he 
had  seen  the  fall  of  Satan.  How  were  our 
souls   exalted   in  his  presence  that  hour! 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH     171 

Surely,  God  was  with  him,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Highest  was  upon  him  as  on  no  other 
prophet  in  all  the  past  of  Israel!" 

Thus  Peter  lived  again  the  days  which 
the  friendship  of  Jesus  had  made  to  blos- 
som with  hope  and  joy  and  holy  aspiration. 
The  power  of  that  divine  fellowship  came 
upon  him  in  his  weariness  and  sorrow  as  a 
quickening  breath  from  heaven.  More  and 
more  he  felt  it  as  the  hours  went  by.  His 
soul  was  in  the  presence  of  the  Master,  and 
as  of  old  his  messages  thrilled  him,  lifted 
him,  and  bore  him  on  to  God.  Truth  and 
the  Truth-Bringer  lived  again.  The  little 
room  was  heavenly  bright  and  still.  And 
Peter,  awake  or  sleeping,  mastered  by  holy 
memories  and  unconscious  of  the  body,  saw 
Jesus  and  heard  his  voice.  The  veil  was 
lifted.  The  glory  of  the  past  that  surged 
up  within  his  spirit — glory  radiating  from 
the  Master — blended  in  his  thought  with 
God  and  with  that  celestial  Kingdom  which 
should  be. 

So  the  night  passed,  and  day  came  again, 
and  Peter  walked  the  old  ways  along  the 
lake,  much  by  himself  at  first,  yet  ever  con- 


172     JESUS   FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

scious  of  the  presence  of  the  unseen  Lord. 

The  incident  of  the  Master's  death  was 
not  forgotten,  nor  could  ever  be,  but  it  was 
now  submerged  in  a  swelling  flood  of  life. 
The  greatness  of  the  spirit  of  Jesus,  the 
divineness  of  his  love,  when  once  the  agony 
of  disappointment  at  his  death  had  wept 
itself  out,  laid  hold  on  Peter,  and  on  others 
who  had  known  the  Lord  best,  with  a  power 
that  bore  them  on  resistlessly  into  a  new 
hope,  a  dauntless  courage,  a  fine,  heroic  life. 

And  Peter  kindled  Andrew  as  they  talked 
of  what  had  been,  and  both  were  kindled  by 
the  touch  of  woman's  calm  devotion  to  One 
who  had  honoured  woman  as  she  had  never 
been  honoured  in  the  ages  past.  The  scat- 
tered band  was  reunited  in  the  sacred  con- 
sciousness of  his  presence  who  had  bound 
them  one  by  one  unto  himself  while  with 
them  in  the  flesh. 

When  months  had  passed,  and  the  new 
faith  was  feared  and  persecuted  by  those 
who  held  the  old,  the  young  man  Saul,  upon 
the  hot  Damascus  road,  his  soul  on  fire  to 
keep  the  Law  and  so  win  heaven,  yet  doubt- 
ing, as  Gamaliel  his  teacher  did,  whether 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH      1 73 

this  strange  new  work  might  not  be  God's 
own,  he,  as  he  journeyed,  saw  the  Lord.  It 
was,  he  said,  a  revelation  in  his  soul,  an  un- 
covering of  Jesus  there  as  Son  of  God,  an 
inner  revulsion  from  doubt  to  faith;  it  was, 
he  said  again,  a  heavenly  vision,  but  as  real 
as  his  own  being,  and  wholly  like  that  which 
the  earlier  disciples  had  seen.  It  flashed 
upon  him  from  the  inner  world,  as  his 
spirit,  seeking  truth,  was  torn  between  doubt 
and  duty. 

This  Christ  of  his  vision,  unknown  of 
him  at  first,  unscarred  by  death  and  glorious 
as  the  sun,  was  not  a  presence  to  walk  fa- 
miliarly with  men,  as  once  the  Master 
walked;  he  was  supernal,  "the  man  from 
heaven,"  clothed  in  heavenly  light,  the  ideal 
King  of  Israel,  as  Paul  had  long  imagined 
him  to  be. 

Paul  was  not  Peter,  nor  were  their  visions 
one.  Each  saw  according  to  his  past.  But 
underneath  their  great  experiences,  where- 
in, as  ever  in  man's  deeper  life,  were  things 
that  were  not  understood,  there  ran  the  vital 
current  of  a  clear  and  joyous  certainty  that 
he  whom  men  had  crucified  was  living, 


174     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

regnant,  immortal;  and  with  that  confi- 
dence there  arose  in  might  the  faith  that 
their  own  life  would  stand  the  shock  of 
death. 

This  was  the  triumph  of  Jesus.  Across 
the  wide  mysterious  gulf  of  death  his  power 
held  the  men  whom  he  had  won.  They  felt 
his  presence,  saw  him,  knew  him,  and  were 
strong.  The  reality  of  life  beyond  the 
grave,  the  sense  of  sharing  God's  eternal 
day,  broke  at  last  upon  the  world.  It  broke, 
and  lo,  beneath  it,  the  ground  from  which 
the  conviction  of  this  reality  sprang,  was 
not  some  theory  of  immortal  being,  more 
clever  and  strong  than  men,  urged  by  pro- 
foundest  longings,  had  ever  forged  in  ear- 
lier times,  but  it  was  an  experience,  a  life, 
a  personality,  a  spirit  so  pure  and  mighty 
that  one  who  had  felt  its  power  knew  hence- 
forth that  it  lived  with  the  very  life  of  God. 
This  was  the  grounding  of  the  great  Easter 
faith,  the  basis  clear  and  indestructible  of 
the  conviction  that  the  Master  was  the  Mas- 
ter still,  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne  of  power,  the  forerunner  within  the 


4 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  JESUS  OVER  DEATH      1 75 

veil  of  a  countless  host  who  should  choose 
his  way. 

The  final  triumph  of  Jesus  in  the  days  of 
the  great  disappointment  and  the  great  re- 
covery was  thus  the  triumph  of  life,  of  days 
of  toil  and  nights  of  prayerful  meditation, 
of  deeds  and  looks  of  love,  of  unwearied 
patience  with  the  dull  of  heart,  of  unbroken 
loyalty  to  highest  truth  seen  as  we  see  the 
sun  in  a  clear  sky,  yes,  and  of  tears  for  those 
whom  love  could  not  soften  and  of  the  long 
agony  on  the  Roman  cross ;  a  triumph  won 
in  humble  Nazareth  and  in  the  thronged 
streets  of  Capernaum,  among  the  boats  by  ; 
the  beautiful  lake  and  the  palms  of  Gen- 
nesaret,  in  many  an  unnamed  town  hidden 
in  the  hills  and  mountains  of  Galilee,  in 
Bethsaida  and  Jericho,  in  the  land  across 
the  Jordan,  in  Bethany  and  Jerusalem. 
Against  this  vivid  and  divinely  persuasive 
background  of  reality  one  and  another  child 
of  the  Christian  dawn  saw,  in  deep  religious 
ecstasy  or  in  dreams  when  dreams  were  po- 
tent, a  speaking  vision  of  the  Master;  but 
to  the  many  disciples  then  and  through  the 
brightening  ages  since,  no  such  vision  has 


.?V 


Q<= 


176     JESUS  FOR  THE  MEN  OF  TODAY 

been  given.  But  it  does  not  matter.  There 
is  conviction  in  the  soul  which  enters  into 
fellowship  with  Jesus  through  the  gateway 
of  his  deeds  and  words,  a  conviction  that 
he  lives.  This  is  enough  and  will  be  till 
the  end.  For  while  the  soul  of  man  re- 
sponds to  love  and  aspires  to  God,  it  will  see 
deathless  Hope  beckoning  it  onward  by  the 
light  of  that  triumphant  Life  which,  having 
once  mirrored  the  eternal  Spirit  of  the  Fa- 
ther to  the  uttermost  of  his  love,  must  be 
vital  and  redeeming  throughout  all  ages. 


